아동의 기질, 어머니의 심리적 특성과 아동의 어머니에 대한 표상이 아동의 문제행동에 미치는 영향

Abstract

이 연구에서는 아동의 기질이 문제행동에 영향을 미치는 과정에서 어머니의 심리적 특성의 조절 효과와 아동의 어머니에 대한 표상의 매개 효과를 알아보고자 하였다. 이를 위해 초등학교에 재학 중인 1~3학년 아동과 그 어머니 862명, 그리고 심리치료를 받고 있는 초등학교 1~3학년 아동과 그 어머니 120명으로부터 수집한 자료를 분석하였다. 아동은 어머니에 대한 표상 질문지, 어머니는 아동의 기질과 문제행동, 어머니의 부적응적 정서조절방략과 공감 질문지를 작성하였다. 연구 1에서는 전체 982명을 대상으로 t 검증을 실시하여 성별에 따른 차이를 알아보았으며, 구조방정식모형 분석을 통해 아동의 기질, 어머니의 심리적 특성, 아동의 어머니에 대한 표상이 아동의 문제행동에 영향을 미치는 과정에 대한 모형을 검증하고, 다집단 분석을 통해 모형이 남녀 집단에 동일하게 적용될 수 있는지 살펴보았다. 연구 2에서는 정상 집단 659명과 문제행동 집단 239명을 대상으로 t 검증을 실시하여 정상 집단과 문제행동 집단의 차이를 알아보았으며, 다집단 분석을 통해 연구 1에서 채택된 모형이 정상 집단과 문제행동 집단에 동일하게 적용될 수 있는지 살펴보았다. 연구 1의 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 남아는 자극추구 기질, 여아는 위험회피 기질 성향이 높았으며, 여아가 위축, 신체증상, 비행 문제를 많이 보였다. 둘째, 아동의 자극추구 기질 성향이 높을수록, 어머니가 부적응적 정서조절방략을 많이 사용할수록 아동의 내재화와 외현화 문제행동이 많이 나타났으며, 아동의 위험회피 기질 성향이 높을수록 아동의 내재화 문제행동이 많이 나타나는 직접 효과가 유의하였다. 셋째, 아동의 자극추구 기질은 어머니에 대한 표상을 통해 아동의 문제행동을 증가시키며, 어머니의 부적응적 정서조절방략과 공감은 어머니에 대한 표상을 통해 문제행동을 감소시키는 간접효과가 유의하였다. 넷째, 어머니가 부적응적 정서조절방략을 많이 사용할 때 아동의 위험회피 성향이 높으면 내재화 문제 행동이 더 많이 증가하고, 어머니가 부적응적 정서조절방략을 많이 사용하거나 공감 수준이 낮을 때 아동의 자극추구 성향이 높으면 외현화 문제행동이 더 많이 증가하는 조절효과가 유의하였다. 다섯째, 여아의 경우에만 어머니가 부적응적 정서조절방략을 많이 사용할수록 어머니에 대해 긍정적인 표상을 형성하였으며, 어머니의 공감은 남아보다 여아의 경우 어머니에 대한 표상에 더 큰 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 아동의 기질이 내재화 문제행동을 증가시키는 과정에서 여아는 자극추구 기질, 남아는 위험회피 기질의 영향이 더 강력한 것으로 나타났다. 어머니의 부적응적 정서조절방략은 남아보다 여아의 내재화 문제행동에 더 큰 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 연구 2의 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 문제행동 집단은 정상 집단에 비해 자극추구와 위험회피 기질 성향이 높고, 어머니는 부적응적 정서조절방략을 많이 사용하고 공감 수준이 낮으며, 아동은 어머니에 대한 표상이 부정적이었다. 둘째, 정상 집단에서는 어머니의 공감 수준이 높을수록, 문제행동 집단에서는 자극추구 기질 성향이 높을수록 어머니에 대한 표상이 긍정적이었다. 셋째, 문제행동 집단에서는 어머니의 공감 수준이 낮을 때 아동의 위험회피 성향이 낮으면 어머니에 대한 표상이 긍정적이고, 어머니의 공감 수준이 높을 때 아동의 위험회피 성향이 낮으면 어머니에 대한 표상이 부정적인 것으로 나타났다. 넷째, 문제행동 집단에서는 자극추구 성향이 높을수록 내재화 문제가 감소하였으며, 기질이 문제행동에 미치는 영향은 문제행동 집단에서 더 큰 것으로 나타났다. 다섯째, 정상 집단에서는 어머니가 부적응적 정서조절방략을 많이 사용할 때 아동의 위험회피 성향이 높으면 내재화 문제행동이 증가하지만, 문제행동 집단에서는 어머니가 부적응적 정서조절방략을 적게 사용할 때 아동의 위험회피 성향이 높으면 내재화 문제행동이 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. 이와 같은 결과는 아동 상담과 연구에 대한 시사점을 제공하고 있으며, 그 의의와 한계를 논의하였다.|This study attempted to examine moderating effects of the mother's psychological characteristics and the mediating effects of the child's mental representation of the mother on the process of the child's temperament influencing the internalizing and externalizing problems in children. Participants were 862 elementary students(1st to 3rd grades) and their mothers and 120 child clients(1st to 3rd grades at elementary school) and their mothers. All of the children completed a questionnaire measuring the mental representation of the mother(NRI). In addition, the mothers completed a questionnaire measuring the child's temperament(K-JTCI) and behavioral problems(K-CBCL), maternal maladaptive emotion regulation strategies(ERSQ) and empathy(PEI). Study 1 involved 982 children. T-test was conducted to verify differences between genders. Structural equation modeling was used to identify the effects of a child’s temperament, the mother’s psychological characteristics and the child’s mental representation of the mother on the child’s behavioral problems. Multi-group analysis was also carried out to determine whether the model can be applied to both female and male groups. In study 2, t-test was conducted on 659 children of normal group and 239 children of clinical group to verify the difference between the two groups. Multi-group analysis was also carried out to determine whether the selected model from study 1 can be applied to both the normal and the clinical group. The results of study1 are as follows. T-test revealed that boys scored high on novelty seeking temperament while girls scored high on harm avoidance temperament and girls tended to show more signs of withdrawal, somatic complaints and delinquent problems. Structural equation modeling identified that the direct effects were significant. The higher a child scored on novelty seeking and the higher the mother scored on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, the higher the child scored on internalizing and externalizing problems. Where a child scored high on harm avoidance, the child also scored high on internalizing problems. The indirect effects were also significant. The novelty seeking temperament of the child had positive effects on the internalizing and externalizing problems through the child's negative mental representation of the mother. The maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and empathy of the mother had negative effects on the internalizing and externalizing problems through the child's positive mental representation of the mother. The moderating effects of the mother’s psychological characteristics were significant. The child with high harm avoidance showed more internalizing problems when the mother scored high on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies while the child with high novelty seeking showed more externalizing problems when the mother scored high on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies or low on empathy The result of the multi-group analysis on a female group and a male group showed that only girls formed positive mental representation of their mothers when their mothers scored high on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. Their mental representation of their mothers was much more heavily influenced in girls than boys by the degree of their mother’s empathy. In terms of internalizing problems, girls were more affected by novelty seeking temperament and their mothers’ maladaptive emotion regulation strategies while boys were more affected by harm avoidance temperament. The results of study 2 are as follows. T-test revealed that children in the clinical group scored high on novelty seeking and harm avoidance temperaments and had negative mental representation of their mothers and their mothers scored high on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and low on empathy. Multi-group analysis identified the difference between the normal group and the clinical group. In the normal group, the higher the mother scored on empathy, the more positive mental representation of the mother the child formed. In the clinical group, the higher the child scored on novelty seeking, the more positive mental representation of the mother the child formed. In the clinical group, children with low harm avoidance temperament had a more positive mental representation of their mother when the mother scored low on empathy. While children with low harm avoidance temperament had a more negative mental representation of their mother when the mother scored high on empathy. In the clinical group, the higher a child scored on novelty seeking, the less internalizing problems the child had. The effect of their temperament on their behavioral problems was much higher in the clinical group than in the normal group. With the children with high harm avoidance and their mothers with high scores on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, the normal group showed increased internalizing problems. With the children with high harm avoidance and their mothers with low scores on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, the clinical group showed increased internalizing problems. Based on these findings, implications for research in child psychotherapy and limitations of this study were discussed.; This study attempted to examine moderating effects of the mother's psychological characteristics and the mediating effects of the child's mental representation of the mother on the process of the child's temperament influencing the internalizing and externalizing problems in children. Participants were 862 elementary students(1st to 3rd grades) and their mothers and 120 child clients(1st to 3rd grades at elementary school) and their mothers. All of the children completed a questionnaire measuring the mental representation of the mother(NRI). In addition, the mothers completed a questionnaire measuring the child's temperament(K-JTCI) and behavioral problems(K-CBCL), maternal maladaptive emotion regulation strategies(ERSQ) and empathy(PEI). Study 1 involved 982 children. T-test was conducted to verify differences between genders. Structural equation modeling was used to identify the effects of a child’s temperament, the mother’s psychological characteristics and the child’s mental representation of the mother on the child’s behavioral problems. Multi-group analysis was also carried out to determine whether the model can be applied to both female and male groups. In study 2, t-test was conducted on 659 children of normal group and 239 children of clinical group to verify the difference between the two groups. Multi-group analysis was also carried out to determine whether the selected model from study 1 can be applied to both the normal and the clinical group. The results of study1 are as follows. T-test revealed that boys scored high on novelty seeking temperament while girls scored high on harm avoidance temperament and girls tended to show more signs of withdrawal, somatic complaints and delinquent problems. Structural equation modeling identified that the direct effects were significant. The higher a child scored on novelty seeking and the higher the mother scored on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, the higher the child scored on internalizing and externalizing problems. Where a child scored high on harm avoidance, the child also scored high on internalizing problems. The indirect effects were also significant. The novelty seeking temperament of the child had positive effects on the internalizing and externalizing problems through the child's negative mental representation of the mother. The maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and empathy of the mother had negative effects on the internalizing and externalizing problems through the child's positive mental representation of the mother. The moderating effects of the mother’s psychological characteristics were significant. The child with high harm avoidance showed more internalizing problems when the mother scored high on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies while the child with high novelty seeking showed more externalizing problems when the mother scored high on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies or low on empathy The result of the multi-group analysis on a female group and a male group showed that only girls formed positive mental representation of their mothers when their mothers scored high on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. Their mental representation of their mothers was much more heavily influenced in girls than boys by the degree of their mother’s empathy. In terms of internalizing problems, girls were more affected by novelty seeking temperament and their mothers’ maladaptive emotion regulation strategies while boys were more affected by harm avoidance temperament. The results of study 2 are as follows. T-test revealed that children in the clinical group scored high on novelty seeking and harm avoidance temperaments and had negative mental representation of their mothers and their mothers scored high on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and low on empathy. Multi-group analysis identified the difference between the normal group and the clinical group. In the normal group, the higher the mother scored on empathy, the more positive mental representation of the mother the child formed. In the clinical group, the higher the child scored on novelty seeking, the more positive mental representation of the mother the child formed. In the clinical group, children with low harm avoidance temperament had a more positive mental representation of their mother when the mother scored low on empathy. While children with low harm avoidance temperament had a more negative mental representation of their mother when the mother scored high on empathy. In the clinical group, the higher a child scored on novelty seeking, the less internalizing problems the child had. The effect of their temperament on their behavioral problems was much higher in the clinical group than in the normal group. With the children with high harm avoidance and their mothers with high scores on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, the normal group showed increased internalizing problems. With the children with high harm avoidance and their mothers with low scores on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, the clinical group showed increased internalizing problems. Based on these findings, implications for research in child psychotherapy and limitations of this study were discussed.