Okul öncesi dönemden okul dönemine geçişte dışsallaştırma ve içselleştirme davranış problemlerinin anne-babaların çocuk yetiştirme davranışları ve çocukların mizaçları ile boylamsal ilişkileri

Externalizing and internalizing behavior problems have been regarded as crucial markers of maladjustment across childhood and adolescence (Zahn-Waxler et al., 2000). Among several etiological factors; parental child-rearing practices and child temperament have documented to have unique as well as joint contributions to both adjustment and maladjustment outcomes of young children. This study examined mediational relations of child temperament with maternal child-rearing practices and externalizing and internalizing behavior problems in a 3-wave longitudinal study. A total of 293 Turkish preschool children (Mage=49.1 months, SD=3.86, range=39-58 months) and their mothers were recruited for this study. At age 4 maternal child rearing, at age 6 child temperament, and finally at age 7 behavior problems were measured via mothers' reports. It was hypothesized that maternal practices would longitudinally predict children's temperamental approach and reactivity. We further hypothesized that child's approach and reactivity would mediate longitudinal relations between maternal practices and externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. Results indicated that the direction of the longitudinal relationship between maternal child-rearing and child's temperament was from maternal warmth to child's reactivity such that higher levels of maternal warmth when children were 4 year-old predicted lower levels of children's reactivity at age 6. Moreover, maternal warmth at age 4 negatively predicted children's reactivity at age 6, which in turn predicted both externalizing and internalizing problems at age 7 positively. Accordingly, child's reactivity fully mediated the link between maternal warmth and externalizing behavior problems. This study shed light on the mechanism in which parental child rearing practices, child's temperamental characteristics and behavior problems were longitudinally related. Findings of the current study can inform prevention/intervention programs aiming at eradicating behavior problems earlier in childhood. Keywords: preschool, child rearing behavior, warmth, punishment, temperament, reactivity, approach, externalizing behavior problem, internalizing behavior problem