A Study on the Relationship Between Popularity, Social Behaviors, and Maternal Child-Rearing Practices in Korean Preschool Children

취학전 아동의 인기도와 사회적 행동 및 어머니의 양육태도간의 관계 연구

The purpose of this study is to relate social behaviors and child-rearing practices to the popularity of preschool children in Korea. Specifically, four major questions were raised and studied First, the relationship between a child's popularity and his/her social behaviors was examined. Second, this relationship was explored as a function of the child's sex. Third, the relationship between a child's popularity and maternal childrearing practices was investigated. Fourth, this relationship was explored as a function of the child's sex. The subjects of this study were 113 middle class preschool aged children and their mothers. Sociometric choices and peer-perceived social behaviors were obtained from these children using Moore's (1973) Sociometric Status Test. Mothers of these children described their childrearing practices in a Q-sort format of Child-Rearing Practices Report (CRPR) developed by Block (1965). The analyses of the data using Kendall's Tau Correlation Coefficient bore the following results: 1. Patterns of social behaviors shown by either popular or unpopular children were distinct; Popular children were friendly and conformative, while unpopular children were aggressive, non-conformative and independent. 2. Patterns of social behaviors in relation to the popularity and the unpopularity differed as a function of the child's sex; Popular boys tended to be active while popular girls were likely to be unaggressive, independent and not-teasing. Unpopular boys showed a great amount of discipline their daughters by means of non-punitive punishment and to express negative reaction to the sibling rivalry among their children. These mothers tended not to enjoy their 3. Certain patterns of maternal child-rearing practices tended to be related to the popularity status of the child; The mothers of popular children as compared to those of unpopular children enjoyed their roles as mothers and didn't use non-punitive punishment. 4. Patterns of maternal child-rearing practices in relation to the child's popularity and unpopularity differed as a function of the child's sex; The mothers of popular boys unlike those of popular girls tended to emphasize on their sons' achievement and perceived that their husbands were greatly involved with their sons. The mothers of unpopular boys appeared to show negative affection toward their sons. The mothers of unpopular girls were likely to displine their daughters by means of non-punitive punishment and to express negative reaction to the sibling rivalry among their children. These mothers tended not to enjoy their roles as mothers and did not believe that their daughters would behave as they should.