Het Verband tussen Moeilijk Temperament bij Peuters en Ouderlijke Steun; is dit Genderspecifiek? Engelse vertaling: The Relationship Between Difficult Temperament of Toddlers and Parental Support; is this gender specific?

Abstract

In toddlerhood, the development of self-regulation, as part of the temperament, and seeking proximity and support from parents are important stages in development, which must be followed properly to prevent later problems. However, little is known about the relationship between the difficult temperament of toddlers and parental support. In addition, research into gender differences in these subjects show inconsistent results. The present study provides insights in the research question “Is there a relationship between difficult temperament of toddlers and parental support and is this relationship different for boys and girls?”. The total study group consists of 893 parents and the analyses were ultimately performed for parents (95 mothers and 92 fathers) of 96 children between 1.5 and 4 years old. Parental support was measured with the Comprehensive Early Childhood Parenting Questionnaire and difficult temperament with the Early Children's Behavior Questionnaire. The current study results that there is no relationship between a toddler's difficult temperament and the parental support provided by both parents. This was also not found after adding the moderation analysis for gender. It is recommended that follow-up research is focused on any effects of toddlers with difficult temperament who are not receiving more support. This is because of the extra risk of developing problems later in life. Because of this, it is also recommended to investigate the relationship between difficult temperament of toddlers and parental support in older children.