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The relationship between mindfulness and parenting in mothers of preschoolers in Singapore
Author
Yang, Ruixin
Supervisor
Khng, Kiat Hui
Abstract
Parental mindfulness has been believed to be associated with better parenting attitudes and behavior. Existing research show mixed findings between parenting styles and dispositional mindfulness. For example, some studies reported a positive relationship between dispositional mindfulness and authoritative parenting, but some studies reported no significant correlation between them. Moreover, there have been limited studies on the relationship between dispositional mindfulness in parents or mindful parenting and the home environment.
To explore these relationships, firstly, this study investigated the relationship between maternal dispositional mindfulness and several aspects of parenting, including authoritative parenting style, authoritarian parenting style, permissive parenting style, mindful parenting, and parent-provided home environment. Secondly, this study focused on how mindful parenting relates to the three parenting styles and the home environment. This cross-sectional correlational study using data from the Singapore Parenting and Cognition in Early Childhood (SPACE) study. Sixty-seven mothers of preschoolers, who are Singaporean or Singapore permanent resident (PR) participated. Self-reported questionnaires, interviews, and observation were used to exam mindfulness, parenting aspects mentioned before, and sub-components of these constructs which were measured by the subscales of these instruments. Correlation analysis was conducted between these constructs and between sub-components of these constructs.
Findings from the current study show how maternal mindfulness relates to the aspects of parenting mentioned above. It was found that maternal mindfulness was positively associated with authoritative parenting and mindful parenting and negatively associated with authoritarian parenting and permissive parenting, although maternal mindfulness was not found to be significantly correlated with the physical environment, which is a sub-component of home environment. It should be noted that some of the subscales showed poorer than acceptable reliability in the current sample. Hence, there was not enough reliable data about various aspects of home environment, except physical environment. Among these sub-components with acceptable reliabilities, describing as a facet of dispositional mindfulness has a wide-ranged influence on maternal parenting attitude and behavior, such as the Reasoning sub-component of authoritative parenting. This study also found that mindful parenting was positively associated with authoritative parenting and physical environment and negatively related to authoritarian parenting and permissive parenting.Findings of the current study made new contributions in the following ways. As mentioned, previous studies showed mixed findings regarding parenting styles and dispositional mindfulness. More specifically, some studies reported significant correlations between parental dispositional mindfulness and parenting styles, while some studies found no significant correlations between them. This study adds new evidence to the mixed results by finding that maternal dispositional mindfulness was positively related to authoritative parenting and negatively related to authoritarian and permissive parenting. Moreover, this study has been one of the first attempts to use quantitative data to support previous researchers' assumptions about the positive association between mindful parenting and parent-provided home environment. In conclusion, this study provides a view of how dispositional mindfulness relates to various aspects of parenting, and how mindful parenting relates to parenting styles and physical environment. These findings could provide guidance for mindfulness intervention design which would benefit parents and their children.
To explore these relationships, firstly, this study investigated the relationship between maternal dispositional mindfulness and several aspects of parenting, including authoritative parenting style, authoritarian parenting style, permissive parenting style, mindful parenting, and parent-provided home environment. Secondly, this study focused on how mindful parenting relates to the three parenting styles and the home environment. This cross-sectional correlational study using data from the Singapore Parenting and Cognition in Early Childhood (SPACE) study. Sixty-seven mothers of preschoolers, who are Singaporean or Singapore permanent resident (PR) participated. Self-reported questionnaires, interviews, and observation were used to exam mindfulness, parenting aspects mentioned before, and sub-components of these constructs which were measured by the subscales of these instruments. Correlation analysis was conducted between these constructs and between sub-components of these constructs.
Findings from the current study show how maternal mindfulness relates to the aspects of parenting mentioned above. It was found that maternal mindfulness was positively associated with authoritative parenting and mindful parenting and negatively associated with authoritarian parenting and permissive parenting, although maternal mindfulness was not found to be significantly correlated with the physical environment, which is a sub-component of home environment. It should be noted that some of the subscales showed poorer than acceptable reliability in the current sample. Hence, there was not enough reliable data about various aspects of home environment, except physical environment. Among these sub-components with acceptable reliabilities, describing as a facet of dispositional mindfulness has a wide-ranged influence on maternal parenting attitude and behavior, such as the Reasoning sub-component of authoritative parenting. This study also found that mindful parenting was positively associated with authoritative parenting and physical environment and negatively related to authoritarian parenting and permissive parenting.Findings of the current study made new contributions in the following ways. As mentioned, previous studies showed mixed findings regarding parenting styles and dispositional mindfulness. More specifically, some studies reported significant correlations between parental dispositional mindfulness and parenting styles, while some studies found no significant correlations between them. This study adds new evidence to the mixed results by finding that maternal dispositional mindfulness was positively related to authoritative parenting and negatively related to authoritarian and permissive parenting. Moreover, this study has been one of the first attempts to use quantitative data to support previous researchers' assumptions about the positive association between mindful parenting and parent-provided home environment. In conclusion, this study provides a view of how dispositional mindfulness relates to various aspects of parenting, and how mindful parenting relates to parenting styles and physical environment. These findings could provide guidance for mindfulness intervention design which would benefit parents and their children.
Date Issued
2021
Call Number
BF637.M56 Yan
Date Submitted
2021