Development and Validation of a Maternal Overprotection Scale for Young Children

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate the Maternal Overprotection Scale to measure the degree of maternal overprotective behaviors in child-rearing.Methods: There were two parts in this study. In Study 1, the items and scale development was conducted and in Study 2, the scale evaluation was conducted. In Study 1, the sample consisted of 262 mothers with young children aged from five to six years. Mothers rated themselves on the degree of their overprotecting behaviors carried toward their children. The scale initially comprised 45 items, and it ended up with 18 items based on exploratory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling. In Study 2, the data of additional 197 mothers who responded to these items were analyzed by means of confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis.Results: In Study 1, the exploratory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling of the scale identified three sub-scale factors: Intrusive Control (eight items), Permissive Indulgence (four items), and Anxious Protection (six items). In Study 2, the Cronbach’s α values ranged from .70 to .85, showing appropriate levels of internal consistency. The cross-validation was established using different samples. The concurrent validity was confirmed by the association with a maternal parenting attitude measured by the Parenting Dimensions Questionnaire (PBDQ).Conclusion: The Maternal Overprotection Scale reliably and accurately measured degrees of overprotective maternal parenting with young children. This scale can be used as a tool for estimating individual differences in mothers’ overprotection for their young children, as well as correlations with other aspects of development.

The Mediating Role of Self-Differentiation and Parental Reflection in the Relationship Between Mother’s Own Childhood Overprotection Experience and Her Parenting Behavior

“…유아들에게 부모란 인생에서 최초로 경험하는 타인이자, 세상 을 인식하는 통로이므로 부모의 양육행동은 부모-자녀 관계와 이후 자녀의 발달에 핵심적인 역할을 하는 요인이다. 특히, 우 리나라는 사회문화적 특성으로 인해 자녀의 심리적 독립 시기 가 늦은 편이고 (Kang & Lim, 2012), 자녀에 대한 과보호 적 양 육을 하는 부모가 늘어나고 있는 추세이다(Y. S. Chung & Park, 2021). 서양권 문화에서 과보호는 간섭과 지나친 통제의 특징 을 보이는 반면, 한국의 과보호는 통제적인 동시에 지나친 애정 과 허용의 수준도 높은 특징이 있다 (Chun, 2012) 이에 더해 경쟁적인 사회 분위기 속에서 입시를 중심으로 하 는 과보호 양육이 증가하였고(K.-M. Chung & Yoon, 2015).…”