Influence of Maternal Autonomy Support on Social Withdrawal in Young Children: The Moderated Mediation Effect of Executive Function and Behavioral Inhibition

Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between maternal autonomy support and social withdrawal, executive function, and behavioral inhibition in young children. Specifically, it examined how behavioral inhibition moderates the mediating effect of executive function on the relationship between maternal autonomy support and social withdrawal in young children.Methods: Participants were 273 3-to 4-year-old children and their mothers. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, Cronbach’s α, and Pearson correlation analysis with SPSS 20.0. Meanwhile, the PROCESS Macro 3.5 software was used for analyzing the moderating effect, mediating effect, and moderated mediation effect.Results: Our findings indicated that, first, maternal autonomy support and executive function, social withdrawal, and behavioral inhibition in young children were significantly correlated. Second, executive function had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between maternal autonomy support and social withdrawal in young children. Third, the behavioral inhibition had a moderating effect on the relationship between maternal autonomy support and executive function. Last, the findings verified that the mediating effect of executive function on the relationship between maternal autonomy support and social withdrawal was moderated by behavioral inhibition.Conclusion: These results indicate that improving executive function and reducing social withdrawal through maternal autonomy support can promote positive development in young children, even when behavioral inhibition is high. Thus, they can be used to highlight the importance of parenting behaviors in shaping young children’s temperament. Furthermore, the results could provide a framework for parental education programs and early intervention programs for reducing social withdrawal in children.

Relationship between parental autonomy support and academic motivation among junior high students

This study aims to observe the relationship between parental autonomy support and academic motivation among junior high students. This correlational study collected data from 124 students and their mothers. Convenience sampling was used. The instruments employed were Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Scale and Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire translated into Indonesian. The Spearman’s Rank was used for correlation analysis. The results revealed that parental autonomy support and maternal autonomy support has a positive correlation with students’ autonomous motivation. The more frequently students receive support from parents and the more frequently mothers give support to their children, the higher motivation students have to perform activities they desire. Maternal autonomy support also associates positively with students’ controlled motivation. The more often mothers give freedom, the higher motivation students have to do activities coming from internal and external pressures. Parental control perceived by students and maternal control have no link with overall motivation.