The Structural Relationships among Maternal Reflective Function, Preschoolers' Empathy, Executive Functions, and Caring Behaviors

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among mothers’ reflective function, preschoolers’ empathy, executive function, caring behaviors. Subjects for this study were 498 preschoolers and their mothers. Mothers’ reflective function was assessed by the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire(PRFQ). Preschoolers’ empathy was assessed by the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy(QCAE). Preschoolers’ executive function was assessed by the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Functions-Preschool Version(BRIEF-P), and caring behaviors were assessed by the caring behaviors scale(Kim, 2015). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis(CFA), and structural equation model(SEM) with the SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 23.0 program. The major results of this study were as follows. First, mothers’ reflective function showed direct effects on preschoolers’ empathy, executive function, and caring behaviors. Second, the preschoolers’ empathy and executive function showed direct effects on preschoolers’ caring behaviors. Third, preschoolers’ empathy mediated the effects of mothers’ reflective function on preschoolers’ caring behaviors. The findings of this study will contribute to designing intervention programs to improve preschoolers’ empathy, executive function, and caring behaviors.