The Mediation Effect of Parenting Flow of Mothers with Young Children on the Relationship of Parenting Efficacy and Parenting Behaviors


Jung, Eun-Hee


Early Childhood Education Major
Graduate School of Education,
Pukyong National University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of parenting efficacy and flow on parenting behaviors of mothers with young children. Specifically, this study examined the mediating effect of parenting flow experience in the influence of the parenting self-efficacy on parenting behaviors.
For that purpose, questionnaires were answered by 261 mothers of 3, 4 and 5 years-old children attending 3 kindergartens in Busan and the result the data were analyzed by SPSS 21.0(ver.).
The result of this study can be summarized as follows.
First, the result showed significant correlation among parenting efficacy, flow experience and parenting behaviors of mothers. Specifically, parenting efficacy and flow experience had positive correlation with ''affection-encouragement'' and ''limit setting'' parenting behaviors and had negative correlation with ''overprotection-permissiveness'' and ''rejection-nonintervention'' behaviors respectively. Also, there was a significantly positive correlation between parenting self-efficacy and flow experience.
Second, as a result of hierarchical regression analysis for investigating the mediating effect of parenting flow experience on parenting efficacy and parenting behaviors, flow experience had partial mediation effect on the relationship between parenting self-efficacy and ''affection-encouragement'' behavior and full mediation effect on the relationship between parenting self-efficacy and ''limit setting'' behavior. Also, flow experience fully mediated the effect on the relations between parenting efficacy and ''overprotection-permissiveness'' behavior and partially mediated the effect on the relationships between parenting efficacy and ''rejection-nonintervention'' behavior.
These finding were utilized for a discussion of the meaning and importance of parenting flow experience when planning for parent education programs for improving desirable parenting behaviors.