Change Trajectory of Mothers’ Value of Children in Infancy on Mothers’ Parenting Behavior in Childhood and Children’s Behavioral Problems

영아기 어머니의 자녀가치의 변화궤적이 유아기 어머니의 양육행동과 유아의 문제행동에 미치는 영향

Objectives: This study aims to provide a longitudinal analysis on the structural relationship for thechange trajectory of mothers’ value of children in infancy and how this value affects the mother'sparenting behavior and subsequent behavioral problems of the child.Methods: This study employed longitudinal survey data from the 1st (2008)~3rd (2010) and the 6th(2013) surveys conducted by the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC). The subjects of this studyincluded 1,601 children and their mothers.Results: Mothers’ value of children in infancy demonstrated a statistically significant difference betweenthe initial value and the rate of change in both emotional value and instrumental value, both showing adecrease over time. A significant difference was also observed in mothers’ parenting behavior and theireffect on the children’s behavioral problems. The higher the initial emotional value, the warmer and morecontrolling the parenting behavior. In addition, larger rates of change led to parenting behavior with lowerlevels of warmth and control. Additionally, mothers’ emotional value of children was shown to partiallymediate the mothers’ parenting behavior and the resulting behavioral problems in children. The higher theinitial instrumental value, the warmer and more controlling the parenting behavior. However, the rate ofchange for the instrumental value did not affect mothers’ parenting behavior in childhood nor thebehavioral problems of the children.Conclusion: This study confirms mothers’ value of children in infancy changes over time. In addition,it also confirms that mothers’ value of children is an important mechanism that influences children’sbehavioral problems by mediating parenting behavior; this occurs through the structural relationshipin which mothers’ value of children in infancy affects mothers’ parenting behavior in childhood andthe subsequent behavioral problems of the children.