Relationships between maternal behavior, maternal attachment, acculturation, locus of control and social anxiety among iranian primary school children in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
In recent decades, social anxiety among children has become considerably more common phenomenon in behavioural science research. Numerous studies have investigated the underlying factors of social anxiety among children. Nonetheless, very few researches have focused on this problem among immig...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2016
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/66753/1/FEM%202016%2043%20IR.pdf http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/66753/ |
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| Summary: | In recent decades, social anxiety among children has become considerably more common
phenomenon in behavioural science research. Numerous studies have investigated the
underlying factors of social anxiety among children. Nonetheless, very few researches
have focused on this problem among immigrants’ children. This study examined the
effect of maternal behaviours (support, behavioural control, and psychological control)
and maternal attachments on child social anxiety among Iranian primary school children
living in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. The study also examined the mediating role of locus
of control in the relationships between maternal behaviours and maternal attachment
with social anxiety. As this study is among Iranian children who came temporarily to
foreign country, acculturation of these children in new country as well as background
information such as age, gender, number of sibling and length of stay in Malaysia have
been considered.
This study is a quantitative study on 227 female and male primary school children aged
between 9 and 12 years old selected through systematic random sampling technique.
Data was collected using self-administered questionnaire such as Child Report of
Parenting Behavior Inventory (CRPBI-30), by Schludermann and Schludermann (1988),
Parent and Peer Attachment-Revised IPPA-R (Gullone & Robinson, 2005), Children's
Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, by Nowicki & Strickland
(1973), the Social Anxiety Scale for Children - Revised (SASC-R) (La Greca & Stone,
1993) and Iranian (Persian) Self Identity Scale by Khanideh (2007). All the instruments
used in this study were highly reliable. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t–test,
and regression analysis were conducted; while the mediating effect was estimated using
Barron and Kenny (1986) approach.
The result of independent sample t–test showed that female respondents demonstrated
higher social anxiety than male. The result of multiple linear regression analysis showed that almost all variables in regression model, except maternal support were significant
predictor of social anxiety. The result also showed that, locus of control partially
mediated the relationships between maternal behavioural control, maternal
psychological control and maternal attachment with social anxiety. However, the
relationship between maternal support and social anxiety was not mediated by locus of
control.
In conclusion, the findings of the present study revealed the importance of mothers in
enhancing locus of control and preventing social anxiety of primary school children in
Malaysia. The nature of relationships between independent variables and social anxiety
implied that social anxiety is prevalent among children abroad. Reasonable control and
secure attachment may have a significant effect on child’s locus of control and reducing
their social anxiety.
The finding of this study can help mothers to monitor their own behaviors while living
abroad in order to enhance the quality of their children’s life. Also, the present results
have significant recommendation for future research and practice. However, this study
is limited to primary school children in Malaysia, aged between 9 and 12 years old. Thus,
the researcher recommends further study in other region and difference age group to
enhance the generalizability. |
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