The Effect of Maternal Responsive Interaction on Child Development: The Mediating Effect of Children’s Temperament and Interactive behavior

Abstract

This study evaluates the relation of maternal responsive interaction on children's temperament and interactive behavior. Participants consisted of 95 mothers and their children dyads from the Seoul area and Gyeonggi Province. In this study, Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS) was used to test the concordance of the combined equation structure model of approach that was theoretically appropriate to explain the process through which maternal interaction affect child's factors. The results are as follows. First, mother interaction had a negative correlation with children's temperament behavior, and a positive correlation with children's interactive behavior and child development was found. Second, maternal responsive interactions were effective in promoting child development by positively changing children's temperament behavior. Third, the maternal interaction promoted children's interactive behavior, and the child's capability of social interactive behavior enhanced child development. This study shows that the mother's responsive interaction enhanced child’s development through temperamental behavior and interactive behavior. Therefore, parent-child interaction should be considered important in the intervention practice to promote child’s developmental functions.