The Relation between Maternal Personality and Internalizing/Externalizing Behaviors: Mediating Role of Maternal Alexithymia, Children’s Alexithymia and Emotional Regulation

Objective: Although many studies have investigated the effect of maternal personality on internalizing and externalizing behaviors of a child, the role of both mother and child’s emotional mechanisms in these behaviors is little explored. The present study was focused on the relationship between the mother’s personality, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors of children with the mediating role of children’s alexithymia, mother’s alexithymia, and children’s emotion regulation (ER). Method: 162 mothers and elementary school-aged children were recruited regarding their demographics and completed the NEO personality inventory, Child behavior checklist, Toronto alexithymia scale, Children’s alexithymia measure, and Children’s emotion regulation checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS (ver.23), and AMOS (ver.23). Results: Structural equations modeling demonstrated an acceptable model fit to data (CMIN/DF = 1.233, RSME = 0.038, GFI = 0.962). Mother’s alexithymia predicted internalizing problems whereas it didn’t predict externalizing problems in children. Also, the bootstrap results indicated that the mother and children’s alexithymia and children’s ER had mediating roles between mother’s personality and externalizing and internalizing problems. Conclusion: The present results demonstrated that mother’s personality can indirectly, through mother and children’s alexithymia and children’s ER act as an important factor in development of mental problems. In other words, findings indicated that children’s emotional development is not a one-way road, but it is a mutual process that involves both the mother and the child.

Childhood Obesity and Maternal Personality Traits: A New Point of View on Obesity Behavioural Aspects

The epidemic spread of childhood obesity in Western society has interested many researchers, who agree in defining it as a multifactorial disease in which not only eating habits and sedentary lifestyle play a role, but also genetic predisposition. The aim of this study was to analyze the personality profile of a group of mothers of children with obesity and to compare this profile to that of a group of mothers of children without obesity. A total of 258 mothers participated in the study (126 mothers of children with obesity and 132 mothers of children without obesity). Weight and height were measured and the body mass index was calculated. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory second edition (MMPI-2), evaluating personality and psychological disorders, was used to evaluate the personality profile. The results suggested that mothers of children with obesity score higher than the mothers of children without obesity in all MMPI-2 subscales. In most of these subscales, the differences between the two groups of mothers were statistically significant and with a medium to high effect size. These data suggest a new perspective on childhood obesity, identifying it as a multifactorial pathology that requires a multimodal and multidisciplinary approach that also takes care of caregivers to ensure optimal therapeutic efficacy.

DEVELOPMENT OF MATERNAL PERSONALITY IN GIRLS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE

Statement of the problem. At the moment, there is a decrease in the value of motherhood and child in Russian society. In this regard, a wide range of practical studies on the psychology of motherhood are carried out in science. Researchers agree that the maternal sphere of personality and psychological readiness for motherhood is formed throughout ontogenesis, but the main emphasis is on working with pregnant women; there is also a number of studies conducted among adolescents. Girls of primary school age pass a number of important stages in the formation of the maternal sphere, while a modern family does not create necessary conditions for future successful motherhood of a girl and there are no specially organized appropriate psychological and pedagogical conditions. The purpose of the article is to study the characteristics of the maternal sphere of personality among girls of primary school age, to determine tpsychological and pedagogical conditions for successful formation of the maternal sphere of personality. Materials and methods. The methodology of the study consists of the concept of ontogenesis of the maternal need-motivation sphere by G. G. Filippova, the theory of psychological readiness for motherhood (E.V. Matveeva, S.Yu. Meshcheryakova), analysis and synthesis of research papers on the psychology of motherhood by Russian and international authors. Four diagnostic methods were applied: the projective technique “Family Drawing” (V.K. Loseva), the questionnaire “Analysis of Family Relations” (E.G. Eidemiller, V.V. Yustitsky), the questionnaire “Methodology for Identifying Children with Parents” (A.I. Zarov), the author’s questionnaire for mothers (reveals features of passing the stages of formation of the maternal sphere in a girl). The basis of the study was Gymnasium No. 5 and Lyceum No. 28 in Krasnoyarsk. The sample included 53 girls (8–10 years old) and their mothers. Research results. Indicators of the formation of the maternal sphere of personality in girls of primary school age according to the stages of its formation are presented. The maternal sphere of personality at this stage of age development is quite developed among 51 % of girls, it is relatively developed among 45,2 % and it is not developed enough among 3,8 %. A more favorable picture is observed in the formation of an operational block, which is formed among 83 % of the surveyed. The need-emotional block is formed among a slightly smaller number of girls – 77,3 %. The greatest difficulties were noted in the formation of the value-sense block, which is formed among 70 % of the sample. Of all the results obtained, it is especially alarming that in junior school age for 41,5 % of girls the most significant figure in the family is not mother and only 45,3 % of respondents are in a psychologically close relationship with their mother. Conclusion. Conclusions are made about the formation of the maternal sphere of personality in the junior school age. The obtained data make it possible to talk about various and coordinated types of activities of teachers, narrow school specialists to create psychological and pedagogical conditions necessary for successful formation of the maternal need-motivation sphere of personality.