Structural Relationship between Maternal Attachment Style and Functional Emotional Development of Children Under Three and a Half Years Mediated by Maternal Parenting Style

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of maternal attachment style on the functional emotional development of the child through the mediation of maternal parenting style in children under Three and a half years. The research method was descriptive correlation (structural equations). The statistical population included all mothers with children under Three and a half years in Mashhad. For this purpose, 210 mothers were selected using available sampling method. The research instruments included Greenspan Functional Emotional Transformation Questionnaire (2007), Hazan and Shaver Attachment Questionnaire (1987) and Robinson et al.'s (2001) parenting style questionnaire. Amos software and path analysis model were used to analyze the research data. The general characteristics of the path analysis model test indicated the overall fit of the model. The results of indirect coefficients showed that the mother's secure attachment style mediated by authoritative parenting style was a strong predictor of children's functional emotional development, but insecure attachment styles mediated by parenting style could not predict children's functional emotional development. According to the research findings, by identifying mothers who are at risk of insecure attachment, workshops and trainings can be taught to strengthen the skills of responsiveness and sensitivity to children's behaviors.