Abstract

This study examined the moderating effect of preschoolers’ effortful control temperament and mother mindful parenting on the process of preschoolers behavioral inhibition temperament affecting social-emotional competence. For this purpose, 274 mothers of children aged 36 to 84 months, 137 boys (50.0%) and 137 girls (50.0%), were surveyed. Preschoolers’ behavioral inhibition temperament, effortful control temperament, social-emotional competence, and mother mindful parenting were measured. The hypotheses were tested using the PROCESS macro for moderated moderation analysis. Results showed a significant three-way interaction between preschoolers’ behavioral inhibition temperament, effortful control temperament, and mother mindful parenting. Alternatively, these results suggest that effortful control temperament and mother mindful parenting can change the influence of the behavioral inhibition temperament on preschoolers’ social-emotional competence. Based on the results, useful information for appropriate intervention in parent counseling and education can be obtained by identifying preschoolers’ temperament characteristics and examining the level of mother mindful parenting accordingly.