Volume 5, Issue 4 (January 2025)
2025, 5(4): 150-160 |
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Pirahmadi M, Zeinali A. (2025). The Role of Child's Temperament and Mother-child Emotional Bonding in Predicting the Anxiety of 3 to 6 Year-old Children of Working Mothers. Journal of Childhood Health and Education. 5(4), 150-160. doi:10.32592/jeche.5.4.150
URL: http://jeche.ir/article-1-285-en.html
URL: http://jeche.ir/article-1-285-en.html
1- MA of General Psychology, Department of Psychology, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran
2- Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Khoy Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khoy, Iran
2- Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Khoy Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khoy, Iran
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| Background and Aim: Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychological challenges in childhood and adolescence, serving as strong predictors for other mental health disorders and psychological problems in adulthood (Sweetman et al., 2020). Anxiety is defined as a pervasive emotion of fear, stemming from suppressed thoughts, needs, beliefs, and desires in response to internal, ambiguous, and uncertain threats (Lowry et al., 2022). The primary features of this disorder include excessive worry about one or more events or activities, difficulty controlling the worry, and disruptions in academic, occupational, and social functioning (Robson et al., 2023). One factor associated with anxiety is child temperament (Glynn et al., 2018), which shapes individual traits and predispositions, differentiating people from one another (Goubil-Bordeaux et al., 2022). Temperament comprises two dimensions: positive temperament, which reflects a person’s tendency to experience happiness across different times and settings, and negative temperament, which refers to a tendency toward worry and distress in various circumstances (Mervyn et al., 2017). Another significant factor related to anxiety is the mother-child emotional bond (Eslaman et al., 2015). Establishing a healthy emotional attachment between mother and child, as a critical element in children’s personality development, plays a vital role in their psychological, emotional, and social well-being, as well as other psychological attributes (Hoflich et al., 2022). Mothers who consistently provide emotional support and care for their children significantly reduce the likelihood of psychological issues and even help prevent their occurrence (Kelk et al., 2021). Today, women’s roles are not confined to household duties, as many engage in various professions. Over recent decades, women’s increased participation in the workforce has been accompanied by discussions regarding its potential effects, including the rise in children’s anxiety levels. To mitigate anxiety in children of working mothers, programs should be developed to address this issue, beginning with identifying relevant variables and contributing factors. Moreover, research on the relationship between child temperament and mother-child emotional bonding with children’s anxiety is limited. One of the notable gaps in this field is the lack of studies specifically focusing on anxiety in children aged 3 to 6 years with working mothers. Given these considerations, the present study aimed to determine the role of child temperament and mother-child emotional bonding in predicting anxiety in 3- to 6-year-old children of working mothers. Methods: This study was applied in purpose and cross-sectional correlational in design. The research population included all 3- to 6-year-old children of working mothers in Urmia City in 2022. According to many statistical experts, including Klein (2016), a minimum sample size of 200 participants is required for correlational and regression studies. Therefore, a sample of 200 participants was selected through purposive sampling. The inclusion criteria for the study were: mother being employed, having children aged 3 to 6 years, a minimum educational level of a high school diploma, being 20 years of age or older, child living with both biological parents, no stressful events, such as the death of close relatives, in the past three months, no substance abuse or use of psychiatric medications (e.g., anxiolytics or antidepressants) by any family members, and willingness to participate in the study. The exclusion criteria included: withdrawal from participation in the study, incomplete responses to the research instruments, and missing answers to more than 10% of the questionnaire items. The research instruments included the Middle Childhood Temperament Questionnaire by Hegvik et al. (1982), the Mother-Child Emotional Bond Scale by Kitamura et al. (2015), and the Parent Version of the Anxiety Scale for Children by Rogers et al. (2016). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis with a simultaneous model in SPSS version 24. Results: The majority of the children were boys (132 participants, equivalent to 66%) and aged 4 years (66 participants, equivalent to 33%). Most of the mothers had a bachelor's degree (114 participants, equivalent to 57%) and were aged 31–35 years (72 participants, equivalent to 36%). There was a significant negative correlation between positive child temperament (r = -0.479) and mother-child emotional bonding (r = -0.596) with anxiety in children of working mothers. Conversely, negative child temperament had a significant positive correlation with their anxiety (r = 0.471, P < 0.001). Positive and negative child temperament, along with mother-child emotional bonding, significantly predicted 48.3% of the variance in anxiety levels among children of working mothers. Among these predictors, mother-child emotional bonding had the largest contribution to the prediction based on the beta coefficient (P < 0.001). Discussions: Given the high prevalence of anxiety in children and the role of maternal employment in increasing it, this study aimed to determine the role of child temperament and mother-child emotional bonding in predicting anxiety in 3- to 6-year-old children of working mothers. The findings revealed a significant negative correlation between positive child temperament and anxiety, and a significant positive correlation between negative child temperament and anxiety in children of working mothers. In other words, an increase in positive temperament and a decrease in negative temperament led to lower anxiety levels in children, whereas a decrease in positive temperament and an increase in negative temperament resulted in higher anxiety levels. These results align with previous research by Miller et al. (2021), Hong et al. (2018), Fox & Pine (2012), Mohammadzadeh et al. (2023), and Akbari et al. (2022). Explaining these findings based on the work of Ghazian et al. (2019), it can be inferred that positive temperament enhances creativity, cognitive flexibility, decision-making efficiency, problem-solving, and other indicators of productive thinking. Such individuals tend to be alert, focused, and determined. Furthermore, as Mervyn et al. (2017) suggested, child temperament can act as either a facilitator or a barrier to anxiety, given its encompassing role in emotions, responses to them, cooperation, and interpersonal relationships. Thus, it seems reasonable to observe a significant negative relationship between positive temperament and anxiety and a significant positive relationship between negative temperament and anxiety. Additionally, the study found a significant negative correlation between mother-child emotional bonding and anxiety in children of working mothers. This means that stronger mother-child bonds were associated with lower anxiety levels, while weaker bonds were linked to higher anxiety levels. These findings are consistent with research by Hong et al. (2018), Eslaman et al. (2015), Galeshi et al. (2016), and Khanjani et al. (2016). Drawing on the findings of Khanjani et al. (2016), it can be concluded that the quality of parental interaction and bonding significantly influences the development of anxiety disorders in children. One of the key topics in child and adolescent psychology is the nature of the mother-child bond. Most developmental theories emphasize the importance of maternal behavior, highlighting that the interactions and emotional bonds—whether harsh or loving, restrictive or nurturing—play a pivotal role in shaping children’s psychological traits. Moreover, the study demonstrated that positive and negative child temperament and mother-child emotional bonding significantly predicted anxiety levels in children of working mothers, with mother-child bonding being the strongest predictor among the variables. The predictive strength of these variables suggests that both child temperament and the mother-child bond elicit different reactions from parents, particularly mothers. Every research study faces limitations, and this study was no exception. The limitations included the use of non-random purposive sampling, the restriction of the population to 3- to 6-year-old children of working mothers in Urmia, and the correlational research design, which precludes establishing causal relationships. In conclusion, the results underscored the significant role of child temperament and mother-child emotional bonding in predicting anxiety in 3- to 6-year-old children of working mothers. These findings have numerous practical implications for family health specialists, policymakers, and families themselves. The results of this study, along with similar research, should serve as a foundation for designing programs aimed at reducing anxiety in children of working mothers. Ethical Considerations This study was extracted from the researchers’ scientific efforts, during which participants took part voluntarily and with full awareness. To ensure research ethics, the principle of confidentiality was strictly observed. Funding This study received no financial support, and all costs were covered by the researchers. Authors' Contributions The first author contributed to data collection, the initial draft of the manuscript, and incorporating feedback. The second author was responsible for editing, manuscript revision, statistical analysis, and interpretation of the findings. Conflict of Interest There were no conflicts of interest in the reporting of the findings of this study. Acknowledgments The authors would like to sincerely thank all participants for their genuine cooperation in the completion of this study. References Akbari, N,. Mahmovand, M., Shahidi, E,. Azizi, M. (2022). Determining the role of family communication patterns and Kadak temperament in predicting separation anxiety in elementary school students. Journal of new developments in psychology, educational sciences and education, 4(39), 1-11. https://civilica.com/doc/1670832/ Asselmann, E., Wittchen, H. U., Lieb, R., & Beesdo-Baum, K. 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Article type Original research Pages: 150-160 |
| Corresponding Author’s Info Email: azeinali@iaukhoy.ac.ir |
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| Article history: Received: 2024/10/05 Revised: 2024/11/21 Accepted: 2024/11/28 Published online: 2025/02/28 |
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| Keywords: Child's Temperament Mother-child Emotional Bonding Children's Anxiety Working Mothers |
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2024/10/5 | Accepted: 2024/11/30 | Published: 2025/02/28
Received: 2024/10/5 | Accepted: 2024/11/30 | Published: 2025/02/28
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