영아의 까다로운 기질과 수면문제의 관계 : 어머니 양육행동의 매개효과

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of infants’ difficult temperament on their sleep problems and to understand the mediating effect of mothers’ parenting behaviors on the relationship between infants’ difficult temperament and sleep problems. The participants of the study include mothers with 258 infants (boys: 140, girls: 118) aged from 13 to 36 months attending child care centers located in Seoul and Gyeonggi provinces. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 and hierarchical regression and Sobel Test were performed.BR The main results are as follows. First, the association between infants’ difficult temperament and sleep problems was significantly positive. However, difficult temperament showed a negative association with affectionate and encouraging parenting and a positive association with overprotective and permissive parenting as well as with rejecting and neglecting parenting. Second, mothers’ rejecting and neglecting parenting partially mediated the relationship between infants’ difficult temperament and sleep problems. That is, it was found that mothers’ rejecting and neglecting parenting aggravates infants’ sleep problems. The findings of the current study indicate the important role of mothers’ parenting behavior appropriate for infants’ temperament and development to improve their sleep problems. It is necessary to further discuss how to practically approach to alleviating infants’ sleep problems.