어머니의 양육행동이 유아의 사회성에 미치는 영향: 유아 실행기능의 매개효과

The Effects of Mothers’ Parenting Behavior on Young Children’s Sociality: The Mediating Role of Young Children’s Executive Functions

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the mediating role of young children’s executive functions in the relationship between mothers’ parenting behaviors and children’s social development. Methods: The study involved 222 mothers with children attending childcare center in Gyeonggi-do. Regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationships, and the statistical significance of the mediating variables was verified. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23 and PROCESS MODEL 4. Results: Mothers’ warm-encouraging and limit-setting parenting behaviors were positively correlated with young children’s executive function and sociality. In contrast, overprotective-permissive and rejection-neglect parenting behaviors were negatively correlated with both executive functions and sociality. Additionally, young children’s executive functions were positively correlated with their sociality. Furthermore, young children’s executive functions mediated the relationship between mothers’ parenting behaviors and their sociality. Conclusion/Implications: Providing educational programs that support mothers in adopting positive parenting practices and enhancing their children’s executive functions can significantly contribute to the improvement of children’s sociality.