The Longitudinal Pathways from Child Temperament to Preschool Children's Adjustment: A Moderated Mediation Model of Marital Communication and Parental Involvement

Abstract

This study tested a longitudinal moderated mediation model, focusing on the role of destructive marital communication and parental involvement on the mechanism between children's temperament and social behavior. A total of 216 parent pairs, having children between the ages of 3 and 6, filled out the scales (e.g., Parental Involvement Scale) at Time1 and Time2. Data were analyzed with SPSS 20 (PROCESS Macro Model 8) and Lisrel 8.3. Results revealed that: (1) parental involvement mediated the relationship between child temperament and their social behavior nine months later, (2) destructive marital communication moderated the relationship between child temperament and parental involvement, (3) destructive marital communication moderated the relationship between child temperament and social behavior after nine months. The indirect pathways showed that destructive marital communication reduced parental involvement by interacting with child temperament, which was significant only for fathers. In addition to father vulnerability, the study also identified clues to mother vulnerability. Based on this study, positive parenting practices would be included in intervention programs that aim to contribute to children's social behavior.