Maternal Negative Emotions and Preschooler’s Social Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Marital Quality

    In the process of children’s emotional socialization, the influence of parents is crucial (Eisenberg et al, 2007). As the primary caregiver, the mother plays a more critical role (Morris et al, 2007; Hooper et al, 2015). Previous studies have found that mothers' negative emotions affect children's negative social behavior through marital quality (Gamliel et al., 2018). However, the impact on children's positive social behavior remains to be explored. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between mothers' negative emotions and their children's positive and negative social behaviors, and to explore the mediating role of marital quality between the two. This study analyzed data from family questionnaires for 36-month-old children in the KIT database. This study analyzed data from family questionnaires for 5-year-olds (the third-wave survey data of the 36-month-old children in the KIT database). A total of 1450 preschoolers and their mothers were included in the analysis. This study showed that mother's negative emotions are negatively correlated with children's independence, gregariousness, and obedience, and positively correlated with children's aggressive behavior. The mediating model analysis showed that marital quality had a full mediating effect between mothers' negative emotions and children's independence and gregariousness, but had a partial mediating effect between mothers' negative emotions and children's compliance. In addition, marital quality also partially mediates the relationship between mothers' negative emotions and children's aggressive behavior. This study suggests that, for the social development of children, mothers should pay more attention to regulating their own negative emotions and be more aware of their marital quality when cultivating children's positive social behaviors or correcting children's negative social behaviors.