Longitudinal Influence of Effortful Control on School Adjustment through Executive Function Difficulty in Early Childhood
AUTHOR : 김영미
INFORMATION : page. 1~10 / 2023 Vol.30 No.4
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to longitudinally explore the mediating effect of executive function difficulties in the relationship between an infant’s effortful control and a child’s school adjustment. For the analyses, data from 205 pairs of mothers and their children (106 boys, 99 girls) who participated in the 1st, 8th and 9th Panel Study of Korean Children (PSKC) were used. The survey data were analyzed using the structural equation model (SEM) with SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 18.0 programs. The major findings were as follows. First, the infant’s effortful control had negative effects on executive function difficulties, but effortful control did not have a significant effect on the child’s school adjustment. Second, executive function difficulties positively affected school adjustment. Third, the child’s executive function difficulties completely mediated the relationship between effortful control and school adjustment. This study explored the meaningful longitudinal path from the infant’s effortful control to school adjustment through executive function difficulties in early childhood. The results of this study may provide basic information for the childhood school adjustment interventions.