Mother’s Context-Specific Attribution and Children’s Problem Behavior: The Moderating Effect of Children’s Negative Emotionality

Abstract

Abstract: This study examined mothers’ context-specific attributions towards children’s problem behaviors and how these attributions contributed to children’s subsequent behavioral problems, together with children’s temperament. The sample included 67 mothers of children aged from 3 to 6 years old. Mothers’ attributions were examined based on a story-vignette task; children’s temperament and behavioral problems were reported by mothers. Results demonstrated that: 1) Mothers’ stable and uncontrollable attributions towards children’s behavioral problems were context-specific. 2) Children’s negative emotionality moderated the impact of mothers’ stable and uncontrollable attributions on children’s subsequent internalizing behaviors. However, maternal attributions did not predict children’s externalized problem behavior.

Key words: children’s behavioral problems, mothers’ attributions, children’s negative emotionality, context-specificity

摘要： 以67对3～6岁的儿童及其母亲为研究对象，通过假设情景法探索母亲对不同情景下儿童问题行为的归因方式，并考察这种特定情景下的归因对儿童后续问题行为的影响，以及儿童消极情绪的调节作用。研究发现：（1）母亲对儿童不同问题行为的稳定性归因和不可控归因存在情景上的差异；（2）母亲的不可控归因和稳定性归因可以影响儿童内隐问题行为的发展且受到儿童消极情绪的影响，但母亲的归因方式不可以预测儿童的外显问题行为。

关键词: 儿童问题行为, 母亲归因, 儿童消极情绪, 情景特异性

CLC Number:

B844

LI Xile, SUN Anqi, GAO Pingyuan, YAN Ni. Mother’s Context-Specific Attribution and Children’s Problem Behavior: The Moderating Effect of Children’s Negative Emotionality[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2021, 19(1): 74-81.

李喜乐, 孙安琪, 高平圆, 晏妮. 母亲的情景特异性归因与儿童问题行为：儿童消极情绪的调节作用[J]. 心理与行为研究, 2021, 19(1): 74-81.

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