Mediating Effect of Fathers’ Parenting Behavior on the Relationship Between Young Children’s Temperament and Peer Play Behavior

Objectives: Understanding peer play behaviors in young children is crucial because children's personal characteristics influence their peer play behaviors. In this study, we investigated the relationship between children’s temperament (4 years old), fathers’ parenting behavior (5 years old), and peer play behavior (6 years old) using longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Korean Children (PSKC). In addition, the mediating effect of fathers’ parenting behavior on the relationship between children’s temperament and peer play behavior was investigated.Methods: A total of 1,070 children and their fathers were extracted for analysis from the Korean Children's Panel Study (PSKC) 2012 (Year 5) to 2014 (Year 7). The correlations between the relevant variables and the mediating effects of fathers’ parenting behavior were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 25.0.Results: Correlation analysis showed that children’s emotionality and sociability were associated with fathers’ parenting behavior, whereas their sociality and activity were associated with their play disturbance. Next, there was no mediating effect of fathers’ warmth on the relationship between children’s temperament and children’s peer play interactions. The full mediating effects of the fathers’ control on the relationship between the child’s temperament (emotionality and sociability) and peer play behaviors such as disruption and disconnection were confirmed. Children’s activity had a direct effect on their peer play interaction and disruption.Conclusion: Peer play behavior revealed the importance of fathers’ controlling parenting behaviors and children’s temperament, especially in peer play disruption and disconnection. In particular, we confirmed the influence of father’s controlling parenting behavior on children’s sociability and emotionality temperament.

Developmental Trajectories of Negative Peer Play in Preschool: Predictors and Outcomes1

This study aims to identify age-related trajectories of preschoolers’ negative peer play, their predictors, and school-related outcomes. The participants were 1,547 children in the Panel Study on Korean Children and their teachers and parents. Using latent class growth analysis, we identified negative peer play trajectories of children between 4 and 6 years old. Analyses of variances were conducted to investigate whether children’s school readiness at 6 years old differed between the trajectories. Finally, multinomial logistic regressions were conducted to explore how teacher-child interactions influenced membership in the trajectories. Three developmental trajectories of play disruption were found: “Low” (64.3%), “Constant-higher” (34.3%), and “U-curve” (1.4%). In the case of play disconnection, four trajectories were found: “Low-increase” (57.6%), “Moderate-decrease” (26.5%), “Sharp-increase” (10.1%), and “High-decrease” (5.8%). The trajectories of play disruption were related to social and emotional development and approach to learning. The trajectories of play disconnection were related to all aspects of school readiness including social and emotional development, approach to learning, communication, and cognitive development. Teacher-child interactions that encourage children’s prosocial behaviors and positive peer interactions predicted likely membership in “Low-increase” play disconnection development. Also, teachers’ affectionate and sensitive qualities during the interaction with children predicted a “Low” trajectory of play disruption. Together, the results emphasized the protective power of positive teacher-child interactions in the development of preschool negative peer play. Based on the findings, policy implications are discussed with regard to teacher education.