Maternal Failure Mindsets and Parenting Styles: Exploring the Mediating Role of Maternal Attributions of Children’s Academic Failures

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines the mediating effects of parental attributions of children’s academic failures in the relationship between maternal failure mind-sets and their parenting styles. Participants were 323 preschool children aged 4–6 years old, with their mothers completing online questionnaires on failure mind-sets, parenting styles, and attribution of children’s academic failures. Research Findings: The results indicated that: (1) a failure-enhancing mindset was positively related to authoritative parenting and showed no significant correlation with authoritarian parenting. Conversely, a failure-debilitating mindset was negatively correlated with authoritative parenting and positively correlated with authoritarian parenting; (2) the mediating role of attribution varied depending on the mindsets. Effort attribution did not mediate the association between failure-enhancing mind-set and authoritative parenting. However, ability attribution played a significant role in mediating the relationship between failure-debilitating mind-set and authoritarian parenting. Mothers with a failure-debilitating mind-set tended to attribute children’s academic failures to a lack of ability, which subsequently increased maternal authoritarian parenting. Practice or Policy: These results provide valuable insights into the factors in influencing parenting styles, emphasizing the role of cognitive factors such as failure mind-sets and attributions of children’s academic failures. The findings suggest that cognitive interventions targeting parental beliefs, including failure mind-sets and attributions, could be crucial for improving parenting style.