Qulitative Research on Korean Children's Difficult Temperament as Perceived by Their Mothers

어머니가 지각하는 한국 아동의 까다로운 기질에 관한 질적 연구

This study investigated the characteristics of children perceived as difficult by their mothers and compared these characteristics with the "difficult temperament" from the NYLS. The subjects were 36 mothers who have more than one child between 3 and 6 years of age. The descriptions from in-depth interviews were analyzed qualitatively. The results showed that (1) Korean mothers perceived the difficult temperament of their child as low adaptability, low rhythmicity in sleep habits, negative mood, and high activity. High response sensitivity was perceived as both a positive and a difficult characteristic. (2) The temperament of their children mothers perceived as most difficult for child rearing were negative mood and low manageability. (3) The activity, adaptability, rhythmicity, response sensitivity, mood and manageability characteristics of Korean children's difficult temperament was different from the difficult temperament of the Nyls.