The Effect of Maternal Trait Mindfulness on Preschoolers’ Social Competence: The Chain-Mediating Role of Maternal Self-Control and Problematic Social Media Use

Abstract

The impact of maternal trait mindfulness on the development of preschoolers’ social competence is receiving increasing attention from researchers. However, the mediating mechanisms that link maternal mindfulness to preschoolers’ social competence are still not well understood. This study examined the mediating effect of maternal self-control and problematic social media use on the association between maternal trait mindfulness and preschoolers’ social competence. We administered 407 mothers of preschoolers in China a questionnaire to assess their trait mindfulness, self-control, problematic social media use, and the degree of social competence of their children. After controlling for demographic variables, the results showed that (1) Maternal trait mindfulness was positively related to preschoolers’ social competence; (2) Maternal self-control and problematic social media use independently mediated the relationship between maternal trait mindfulness and preschoolers’ social competence; and (3) Maternal self-control and problematic social media use play a chain-mediating role between maternal trait mindfulness and preschoolers’ social competence. These findings have enhanced our understanding of how maternal trait mindfulness influences preschoolers’ social competence and holds important implications for interventions aimed at enhancing preschoolers’ social competence.

Keywords

• trait mindfulness
• social competence
• self-control
• problematic social media use