The Mediating Role of Maternal Response to Child's Negative Emotions in the Relationship Between Maternal Anxiety and Child Oppositional Defiant Behavior

Abstract :

The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of maternal responses to children’s negative emotions in the relationship between maternal anxiety and oppositional defiant behavior in children. This research employed a correlational design using structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population included 454 first- and second-grade primary school students in Malayer and their mothers. A multistage cluster sampling method was used for participant selection. Data were collected through the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale (CCNES). Data analysis was conducted using SmartPLS3 software through structural equation modeling. The results indicated that maternal anxiety had a direct and positive effect on children's oppositional defiant behavior. Furthermore, maternal anxiety was associated with a decrease in supportive responses and an increase in non-supportive responses to the child’s negative emotions. While supportive maternal responses were found to have a significant negative effect on oppositional behavior, non-supportive responses did not show a statistically significant impact. Neither supportive nor non-supportive maternal responses demonstrated a significant mediating role in the relationship between maternal anxiety and child oppositional defiance. These findings suggest that maternal anxiety contributes directly to increased oppositional defiant behavior in children, independently of maternal emotional responses. The results underscore the importance of direct interventions aimed at reducing maternal anxiety, as well as training mothers in supportive parenting practices to prevent oppositional defiant behavior in children.

References:

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