Hyun-Sim Doh

Social Competence, Maternal Attentiveness, and Overprotectiveness: Only Children in Korea:

A study was conducted in South Korea that compared the social competence of sixth graders who had no siblings to those who did. Korea was selected as the site of this study because most urban mothers are homemakers there. The three factors of social competence considered in this study were: popularity, sociability, and brattiness. These three were measured in terms of the combined ratings of mothers and teachers. Maternal attentiveness and overprotectiveness was measured in terms of the mothers rating their own behaviour. Only children were found to score similarly to others on popularity and sociability, but scored worse than others on the brattiness scale. Maternal attentiveness was found to be correlated significantly with all three social competence scores, indicating that mothers who evaluated themselves as more attentive to their children had children who were evaluated as being more popular, sociable, and less bratty. However, mothers of only children were not found to score differently than other mothers on attentiveness or overprotectiveness. The findings about only children were interpreted in terms of Korean perspectives on play.

The Effects of Marital Conflict and Mothers` Anger and Depression on the Behavioral Problems of Preschoolers

This study examined the effects of marital conflict and mothers` anger and depression on the behavioral problems of preschoolers. A total of 393 mothers with 3-year-old preschoolers responded to questionnaires, which included items related to marital conflict, mothers` anger and depression, and their preschoolers` behavioral problems. Data were analyzed by means of structural equation modeling. The results indicated that marital conflict had no direct effect, but there were indirect effects on preschoolers` behavioral problems caused by mothers` anger and depression. Mothers who believed that they were experiencing high levels of marital conflict revealed high levels of anger and depression and reported higher rates of behavioral problems in their children. Mothers` depression also mediated the impact of marital conflict on preschoolers` behavioral problems, but mothers` anger level apparently did not. The effects of mothers` level of depression on preschoolers` behavioral problems were the highest among all the predictors. These findings imply that both improving marital relationships and regulating mothers` anger and depression levels need to be emphasized when designing prevention and intervention programs aimed at improving the behavioral problems of preschoolers.

The Effects of Mothers` Depression and Parenting Behavior on Preschoolers` Externalizing Problem Behaviors

The main purpose of this study was to examine direct and indirect effects of mothers’ depression on preschoolers’ externalizing problem behaviors. A total of 155 mothers with preschoolers aged 3 and 4 years (83 boys and 72 girls) living in Seoul participated in this study. Mothers completed questionnaires on mothers’ depression, parenting behavior, and preschoolers’ externalizing problem behaviors. Direct and indirect pathways from mothers’ depression to preschoolers’ externalizing problem behaviors were analyzed using Structural Equation Model ing (SEM). First, it was revealed that mothers’ depression did not directly affect preschoolers’ externalizing problem behaviors. Second,

The Effects of Maternal Grandmothers` Positive Parenting Behavior, Mothers` Emotion Regulation and Positive Parenting Behavior on Children`s Emotion Regulation

This study examined the effects of maternal grandmothers’ positive parenting behavior, mothers’ emotion regulation, and positive parenting behavior on children’s emotion regulation. A total of 348 mothers of fourth and fifth graders responded to questionnaires, which included items related to their mothers’ positive parenting behavior, their own emotion regulation and positive parenting behavior, and their children’s emotion regulation. The data were analyzed by means of correlations and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). First, maternal grandmothers’ positive parenting behavior significantly Korean J. of Child Studies Vol. 35, No. 2, 117-136, April 2014 DOI:dx.org/10.5723/KJCS.2014.35.2.117 www.childkorea.or.kr pISSN1226-1688 eISSN2234-408X 2 Korean J. of Child Studies Vol. 35, No. 2, 2014 118 affected mothers’ emotion regulation, but mothers’ emotion regulation did not directly affect their children’s emotion regulation. Second, maternal grandmothers’ positive parenting behavior had an effect on mothers’ positive parenting behavior, which led to a high level of their children’s emotion regulation. Lastly, maternal grandmothers’ positive parenting behavior indirectly influenced children’s emotion regulation through mothers’ emotion regulation and positive parenting behavior. This study emphasizes the intergenerational transmission of positive parenting, as well as a crucial influence of mothers’ positive parenting behavior on children’s emotion regulation.

The Effectiveness of a Parent Education Program for Preventing Children`s Problem Behaviors : Based on Respected Parents & Respected Children

The present study employed a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of a 16-week parent education program based on Respected Parents & Respected Children(RPRC). 124 mothers were assigned to two groups, an intervention (n

Pathways from Peer Relationships to Subjective Well-Being through Self-Esteem in Late Childhood

This study examined the various pathways from peer relationships to subjective well-being through self-esteem in late childhood. A total of 354 fifth and sixth grade students in elementary school (189 boys and 165 girls) participated in the study. Peer relationships were assessed using the peer rating scale, and self-esteem and subjective well-being were measured using the self-rating scales. The data were analyzed by means of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Children`s peer relationships affected their subjective well-being directly, as well as indirectly through their self-esteem. Positive relations with peers enabled children to improve their subjective well-being. In addition, those children who possessed good relationships with peers were more likely to perceive themselves as worthy, which led to higher overall levels of happiness and satisfaction in their lives. The study emphasizes the crucial influence of self-esteem on school-aged children`s subjective well-being.

A Qualitative Study to the Mother’s Role Experiences during Their Child’s Transition from Early Childhood to Middle Childhood

The purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative analysis of mothers` role experiences during their children`s transition from early childhood to middle childhood. Eleven mothers of first-grade elementary school students participated in a group meeting, group interviews and journal writing. The results indicated that mothers described their experiences as a critical first step outwards on the journey to independence. The role experiences of the mothers who participated in this study can be seen from three perspectives: Firstly, as mothers as individuals projecting a mother`s worries onto their child and becoming a capable person to help their children adjust to a new school environment, secondly, as mothers as family members experiencing a more authoritarian parenting style and difficulties of co-parenting with their husbands and parents-in-law, and lastly, as mothers as members of the extended family systems experiencing communication difficulties regarding the public education system and feeling uncomfortable with other parents. The findings may be used to develop support programs as well as a channel for interacting with public education bodies and community agencies.

The Mediating Effect of Maternal Abuse and Neglect on the Relationship between Socioeconomic Status and Preschoolers' Social Behavior

This study examined the mediating effect of maternal abuse and neglect on the relationship between socioeconomic status and preschoolers` social behavior. A total of 702 mothers with 3-year-olds(353 boys and 349 girls) and the children`s teachers, all of whom reside in Seoul, participated in the study. Socioeconomic status was measured by maternal educational level and monthly household income. Maternal abuse and neglect were assessed by asking mothers to complete the Parent-to-Child Version of the Conflict Tactics Scales. Both mothers and teachers completed the Preschool Social Behavior Scale in order to evaluate prosocial behavior and aggression. The results indicated that both socioeconomic status and maternal abuse and neglect were significantly associated with preschool children`s prosocial behavior, and socioeconomic status was significantly and negatively related to aggression. Furthermore, a structural equation model confirmed the mediating effect of maternal abuse and neglect on the relationship between socioeconomic status and preschool children`s prosocial behavior, suggesting the need for interventions focusing on improving positive parenting and decreasing negative parenting to promote prosocial behavior.

The Influences of Marital Conflict and Maternal Anger on Child Maltreatment

This study investigated both the direct and indirect influences of marital conflict on child abuse by exploring the pathways between marital conflict, maternal anger, and child maltreatment. A total of 344 mothers with 3-year-old children responded to questionnaires, which including items on marital conflict/violence, maternal anger, and child maltreatment. The data thus collected were analyzed by means of Structural Equation Modeling. The results indicated that maternal anger partially mediated the association between marital conflict and child maltreatment. In more concrete terms, the direct and indirect effects of marital conflict on child maltreatment were a little greater than the direct effect of maternal anger on child maltreatment. The effects of marital conflict on maternal anger was the greatest among all associations between the research variables included in this study. The findings of this study have a number of implications for research and practice, which highlights the important considerations that both cultivating positive marital relationships and regulating maternal anger should be emphasized in prevention and intervention programs for child maltreatment.

The Effectiveness of the Respected Parents & Respected Children Parent Education Program for Mothers of Early School-age Children

The present study employed a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design model in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the Respected Parents & Respected Children (RPRC) parent education program for mothers of early school-age children. Ninety mothers were randomly assigned to an intervention (n =45) group or a control group (n = 45). Mothers in the intervention group participated in 8 weekly sessions of the parent education program. After the termination of the program, the differences between pretest and posttest were analyzed in terms of both maternal parenting characteristics (i.e., parenting behavior, parenting efficacy, parenting stress, and co-parenting) and childrens social competence. The results indicated that only in the intervention group, self-reported positive parenting characteristics were significantly improved and negative parenting characteristics were significantly decreased. There were no significant effects of the program on children’s social competence as rated by the mothers. These findings suggest that the RPRC parent education program is effective in changing parenting characteristics known as crucial predictors of child outcomes. Korean J. of Child Studies Vol. 36, No. 3, 35-57, June 2015 DOI:dx.doi.org/10.5723/KJCS.2015.36.3.35 www.childkorea.or.kr pISSN1226-1688 eISSN2234-408X 2 Korean J. of Child Studies Vol. 36, No. 3, 2015 36