Effect Of Parenting Styles On Social Adjustment In Young Children Aged 4 To 5 Years Old : The Mediating Role Of Executive Function

As an important part of the socialization process,social adjustment is the basis for the formation of a sound personality and is also closely linked to future school adjustment and academic achievement,and is of great importance to the physical and mental development of preschool children.The social adjustment of young children is not only regulated by internal characteristics such as executive functions,but also by external environmental factors such as parenting styles.Based on the existing research,this study explores the relationship between social adjustment,executive functions and parenting styles of young children,with the aim of providing evidence-based educational recommendations for the development of young children’s social competence.In this study,children aged 4-5 years old(N=517,M=63.29,SD=3.88)and their primary caregivers from 23 kindergartens in F and Z cities of Fujian Province were used as the study population.The Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Scale(SCBE),the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory(CHEXI),the Parenting Styles Dimensions Questionnaire(PSDQ)and the demographic information questionnaire were used as instruments to investigate the level of social adjustment,executive functioning and parenting styles of young children,and to analyse the relationship between them.Two parents(six in total)of medium socio-economic status and with authoritative,authoritarian and permissive parenting styles,including half of the parents with male and half of the parents with female children,were selected for semi-structured interviews to obtain specific characteristics of parenting styles,executive functioning and social adjustment of young children.The following conclusions were ultimately drawn.1.The level of social adjustment of 4-5 years old in this study differed significantly on the variables of child gender and parent’s occupation,education,and average monthly income,and the level of executive functioning of young children differed significantly on the variables of child gender and parent’s occupation,education,and average monthly income.2.Authoritative parenting style,authoritarian parenting style and permissive parenting style significantly predicted the level of social adjustment of young children and the predictive effect remained significant when controlling for family socioeconomic status.3.Authoritarian parenting style and permissive parenting style significantly predicted the level of executive functioning of young children,and executive functioning of young children significantly predicted the level of social adjustment of young children,and the predictive effect remained significant after controlling for family socio-economic status.4.Executive functioning of young children mediated the effect of authoritarian and permissive parenting styles on young children’s social adjustment,and the mediating effect remained significant when controlling for family socio-economic status.5.The interview results indicate that young children in authoritative parenting families show high levels of social adjustment and high levels of executive functioning,young children in authoritarian parenting families show low levels of social adjustment and high levels of executive functioning,and young children in permissive parenting families show low levels of social adjustment and low levels of executive functioning.The findings of the interviews further corroborate and complement the findings of the questionnaire.Based on the above findings,this study suggests that: firstly,parents should optimise their own parenting styles and create a caring,democratic and equal family atmosphere for their children’s growth;secondly,they should pay attention to the development of children’s executive functions in both home and kindergarten education,and enhance children’s executive functions in multiple ways through games,group educational activities and various aspects of their daily lives;thirdly,kindergartens should strengthen the scientific guidance for parenting styles to enhance effective communication between home and kindergarten.Thirdly,kindergartens should strengthen scientific guidance to parents on parenting styles,enhance effective communication and collaboration between home and family,and form educational synergy to jointly promote the social adaptation of young children.