Children’s Understanding and Experience of Conditional Promise with Mothers: Focused on Children’s Trust in Mothers and Self-Regulation

Abstract

Objectives: The main purpose of the study was to examine children's understanding of conditional promise fulfillment and violation, and emotional responses to the promise parties (study 1). In addition, this study investigated the indirect effect of children's experience of mothers' promise fulfillment and violation on self-regulation through their trust in their mothers (study 2). Methods: The participants of this study were 122 children (4-7 years of age) and their mothers. Children were interviewed individually and their mothers completed questionnaire about children's self-regulation. The collected data were analyzed using frequency analysis, chi-square test (study 1), correlation analysis and regression analysis (study 2) with SPSS 21.0. Results: In Study 1, there was a significant difference in children's understanding of promise fulfillment/ violation and emotional response to promise parties depending on age and violation events. In Study 2, we observed an indirect effect of children's perception of mothers' promise fulfillment and violation on children's self-regulation through trust in mothers were significant. Conclusion: This research suggested that it is necessary to consider developmental difference in children's understanding of fulfillment and violation of conditional promise. Morevoer, the mothers' promise-fulfillment behavior could be important to increase children's trust in their mothers and their self-regulation. The results of the this study may be used as an effective resource in the educational field and in parent education programs.