Factor structure of coping behavior of mothers raising toddlers with normative level of psychosocial development

This empirical research is dedicated to identifying and describing the factor structure of coping behaviour of mothers raising toddlers (1-3 years) with normative level of psychosocial development. The relevance is determined by an objective need for the study of social changes in modern society. Social changes lead to the transformation of women's mentality and make motherhood stressful these days. We suggest for the first time the concept of «toddler maternal coping» to denote coping behaviour of mothers, who raise toddlers. The toddler maternal coping is defined as a set of realized behavioural strategies that are used by a mother to overcome everyday problematic situations during her child's toddlerhood. Maternal coping becomes of particular importance in early motherhood because of the following reasons. First, relationship in the «Mother-Child» system is symbiotic in the early years of a child's life. Then, the experience that children have at this age is of high importance for their further psychological development. The main objective of the research is studying the features of mothers coping behaviour in the context of relationship with the level of toddlers' psychosocial development. According to the goal, we applied mathematical statistic procedure of factor analysis to the study of diagnostic data. That way we build factor structural model of maternal coping behaviour. Data source for the factor analysis is a result of psychodiagnostics testing of 260 young women raising toddlers. Empirical study was conducted in Tomsk Regional Children's Hospital and in several psychological and educational centres of Tomsk. We diagnosed mothers to identify the features of toddler maternal coping, in particular, the verification of coping strategies and coping styles in maternal behaviour. We use personal questionnaires «Coping Strategy Indicator» (J. Amirkhan), "Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations» (N. Endler, J. Parker), «Strategic Approach to Coping Scale» (S. Hobfoll), «Ways of Coping Questionnaire» (R. Lazarus, S. Folkman), «StreBVerarbeitungsFragebogen» (W. Janke, G. Erdmann). Factor analysis demonstrates that the principal characteristics (factors) of toddler maternal coping are personal constructs, such as self-regulation, assertiveness, social activity, revulsion, affectivity, responsibility, determination, and suppression of competing activities, selfish direction, and compensation. Analytical review of the qualities allows us forming empirically explained notion about typical coping behaviour of the mother of the child in toddlerhood, who has no deviations in development. The behavior is predominantly socially active, adaptive and focused on anticipating and preventing the possible negative impact of everyday problems and stressful situations on well-being of the child.

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