The psychology of diaspora experiences: Intergroup contact, perceived discrimination, and the ethnic identity of Koreans in China

The moderating role of intergroup contact on the relationship between perceived discrimination and ethnic identity was examined in a diaspora community of Koreans living in China. It was hypothesized that Koreans with higher intergroup contact would have a lower ethnic identity under higher discrimination, whereas Koreans with lower intergroup contact would have a higher ethnic identity. Across two separate college samples, Koreans who were more willing to interact with Han Chinese had a lower ethnic identity when discrimination was higher, but this finding was not replicated within one college setting. These findings challenge the linear rejection-identification model and suggest displaced people may minimize ingroup-outgroup differences, depending on their willingness to seek intergroup contact. © 2007 APA, all rights reserved

A cross-cultural study of behavioral inhibition in toddlers: East-West-North-South

The prevalence of behavioral inhibition in toddlers was examined in five cultures. Participants in this study included 110 Australian, 108 Canadian, 151 Chinese, 104 Italian, and 113 South Korean toddlers and their mothers who were observed during a structured observational laboratory session. Matched procedures were used in each country, with children encountering an unfamiliar stranger with a truck and a robot. Indicators of inhibition included the length of time toddlers delayed before approaching the stranger and the duration of contact with their mother while the stranger was in the room. Results were generally consistent with expectations and showed differences between eastern and western cultures; Italian and Australian toddlers were less inhibited than toddlers from the other countries, whereas Chinese and South Korean toddlers were more inhibited. The implications of these findings are discussed and a research agenda for further exploration of inhibition is outlined. © 2006 The International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development

Pathways from non-Korean mothers' cultural adaptation, marital conflict, and parenting behavior to bi-ethnic children's school adjustment in South Korea

We explored the pathways from attitude towards cultural adjustment (separation, assimilation, and integration), marital conflict, and parenting practices of mothers of non-South Korean families on their children's school adjustment in South Korea. One hundred-and-fifty-four Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese mothers and their children (3rd-6th grade) from Gyeonggi province participated in the study. Questionnaires measuring mothers' attitudes toward cultural adjustment, marital conflict, and parenting practices were administered to the mothers. We analyzed data using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). We found that mothers' assimilation and separation did not affect children's school adjustment. However, integration of the mothers had indirect effect on children's school adjustment through marital conflict and parenting practices. Acculturated mothers had lower level of marital conflict, which in turn had a higher positive effect on children's school adjustment. It is imperative that culturally relevant programs that enhance positive marital relationships and parent-child relationships among culturally diverse families be developed. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd

Influence of marital conflict on young children's aggressive behavior in South Korea: The mediating role of child maltreatment

This study examines the relationship between marital conflict, child maltreatment, and young children's aggressive behavior in South Korea. Of particular interest is whether child maltreatment mediated the pathway between marital conflict and children's aggression. The participants consist of 349 mothers with 3-year-old children attending 20 daycare centers in Seoul. The mothers completed a questionnaire, which was composed of marital conflict, mothers' maltreatment, and children's aggression. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediating roles of mothers' maltreatment in the relationship between marital conflict and children's aggressive behavior. Results suggest that the effect of marital conflict on children's aggressive behavior was fully mediated by mothers' maltreatment. This model was invariant across both boys and girls. Findings from this study have major implications for research, practice, and policy regarding family violence and young children's aggressive behavior in South Korea. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd

Social skills training and parent education programs for aggressive preschoolers and their parents in South Korea

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate social skills training and parent education programs for aggressive young children and their parents in South Korea. Participants consisted of intervention group I, which included six children and their mothers in the social skills training and parent education programs; intervention group II, which included seven children and their mothers in the social skills training; and control group, which consisted of six children and their mothers. Pre-test-post-test control group design was used. Participants in both intervention groups reported a significant decrease in aggression and on improvement in pro-social behavior, emotional regulation, and social skills, while the control group reported an increase in aggressive behavior. Mothers in the intervention group I also reported an increase in warmth/acceptance. The findings indicate that both programs are highly effective in reducing aggressive behavior among young children and in fostering positive parenting behaviors. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd

The effectiveness of a parenting education program based on respected parents & respected children for mothers of preschool-aged children

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Respected Parents & Respected Children (RPRC) parenting education program for mothers of preschool-aged children in South Korea. A total of 99 mothers were assigned to an intervention group (n = 54) or a control group (n = 45). Mothers in the intervention group received 16 weekly sessions of the parenting education program and then were compared with mothers who did not take part in the program. Questionnaires were used to assess parenting characteristics (i.e., maternal depression and anger, parenting behavior, co-parenting, parenting efficacy, and parenting stress) at baseline (pretest), immediately after the termination of the program (post-test), and 8 months after the end of the program (follow-up test). Maternal rejection/restrictions, dissatisfaction, and parental distress of the intervention group decreased and efficacy as parents improved after taking part in the program, and these effects were sustained at follow-up. Our findings support the effectiveness of the RPRC parenting education program in changing parenting strategies and satisfaction and emphasize the need for preventive interventions for parents with young children. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd