The Effects of Father Marital Satisfaction on Young Child Emotion Regulation: Mediating Effects of Father Parenting Participation

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between father marital satisfaction and parenting participation and young child emotion regulation to determine the mediating effects of father marital satisfaction and parenting participation on young child emotion regulation. Methods: This study was conducted with 249 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds and their fathers at nurseries in Seoul and Gyeonggi. The collected data were analyzed via frequency, average, standard deviation, Pearson’s correlation analysis, Baron and Kenny’s hierarchical regression analysis, and the Sobel test. Results: First, father marital satisfaction, parenting participation and young child emotion regulation, including the sub-factors of each variable, were all significantly correlated. Second, father parenting participation was found to have a full-mediating effect emotion regulation of the young child. Meanwhile, father parenting participation was found to have a full mediating effect others-regulation of the young child. In addition, father parenting participation was found to have a partial mediating effect on young child self-regulation. Conclusion: These results suggests the need to provide more practical family programs and realistic governmental support to promote father parenting participation. Keywords: marital satisfaction, parenting participation, emotion regulation