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Abstract
Although parental warmth has been shown to be related to children’s social competence, the mediating role of preadolescent children’s emotion regulation in this context has been less explored, particularly in Asian cultures. Thus, this study examined the role of emotion regulation as a mediator in the relationship between parental warmth (i.e., paternal and maternal warmth) and social competence among preadolescent children in Malaysia. Preadolescent children (N = 720; Mage = 10.95; SD = 0.59; 58.8% female) completed self-administered questionnaires. Results of correlation analysis showed that higher levels of paternal and maternal warmth were associated with greater emotion regulation in preadolescent children and a greater level of social competence. However, analysis of structural equation modeling revealed that emotion regulation significantly mediated only the relationship between maternal warmth and social competence. These findings underscored the importance of maternal warmth in promoting Malaysian preadolescent children’s social competence as well as their emotion regulation as a mediating pathway. This study also highlights the direct effect of paternal warmth on preadolescents’ social competence. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.
Acknowledgments
The authors would also like to thank the guest editor and anonymous reviewers for their contribution to this review.
Disclosure statement
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
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Notes on contributors
Su-Wan Gan
Su-Wan Gan is an assistant professor at the Department of Psychology and Counseling, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia. She obtained her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Universiti Putra Malaysia. Her research interest is on developmental psychology, family studies, and child and adolescent development outcomes.
Jo-Pei Tan
Jo-Pei Tan is a senior lecturer at the Department of Social Care and Social Work, Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom. Her research and publications focus on how different aspects of culture impact parenting and socialization processes, and children behavior. She also specializes in multivariate analysis with extensive experience in examining the various models of parenting practices across different groups and how it relates to children and young people behavior.
Chin-Siang Ang
Chin-Siang Ang is a Research Fellow at the Center for Population Health Sciences, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His research involves the disciplines of developmental psychology and positive psychology. His research deals with the psychosocial determinants that influence adolescents and young adults’ development and well-being.
Charissa S. L. Cheah
Charissa S. L. Cheah is a professor at Department of Psychology in University of Maryland, Baltimore County, United States. She uses mixed-method and innovative approaches to understand how individual characteristics, relationships, socialization agents, and contexts interact to influence child and adolescent social-emotional development and physical health.
Siti Nor Yaacob
Siti Nor Yaacob is a senior lecturer in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia. Her major research interest is in studies related to child & adolescent development, family studies and social problem.
Mansor Abu Talib
Mansor Abu Talib is a professor in UCSI University, Malaysia. His research interest is counseling, adolescent development and the well-being of individual.