The Relationship Between Maternal Attachment Style and Children's Internalizing and Externalizing Disorders: The Mediating Role of Children's Emotion Socialization

Fazeli, Fatemeh; Behzadpoor, Samaneh

doi:10.48308/apsy.2025.240222.1837

The Relationship Between Maternal Attachment Style and Children's Internalizing and Externalizing Disorders: The Mediating Role of Children's Emotion Socialization

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Fatemeh Fazeli ¹
Samaneh Behzadpoor ²

¹ Master of Clinical Family Psychology, Department of Psychology, Humanities Faculty, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Professor Faculty of Psychology, Science and Culture university, Tehran, Iran.

10.48308/apsy.2025.240222.1837

Abstract

Aim: This study examined whether children’s emotion socialization mediates the relationship between maternal attachment and children’s internalizing and externalizing disorders.

Method: A descriptive-correlational design was employed with 211 mothers of children aged 6–10 years in Tehran, selected via convenience sampling. Instruments included the Child Behavior Checklist, Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale, and the Experiences in Close Relationships–Relationship Structures questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Spearman correlation and path analysis with SPSS-27 and AMOS-26.

Results: Maternal avoidant and anxious attachment were positively correlated with children’s internalizing and externalizing disorders (p < 0.05). Both attachment dimensions were negatively correlated with emotion socialization (p < 0.001). Emotion socialization showed significant associations with children’s internalizing and externalizing problems (p < 0.001) and mediated the relationship between maternal attachment and behavioral outcomes.

Conclusion: Maternal attachment and emotion socialization play critical roles in children’s emotional and behavioral adjustment. Interventions targeting parental attachment security and emotion socialization practices may reduce internalizing and externalizing problems in children.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Family

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