MATERNAL BIG FIVE PERSONALITY TRAITS, MATERNAL WARMTH AND INTERNALIZING PROBLEMS IN EARLY- AND MID-ADOLESCENCE: A MEDIATION MODEL

Abstract

The current study attempted to investigate to what extent maternal ‘Big Five’ personality characteristics (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and autonomy) are related to anxious- and withdrawn problems in adolescents between 12 and 15 years old. In addition to this, the current study also attempted to investigate mediation by maternal warmth. The research population consisted of 615 adolescents (49.9% boys, 50.1% girls). Maternal personality was assessed using maternal self-reports on the Five-Factor Personality Inventory (FFPI). Anxious- and withdrawn problems were assessed using adolescent self-reports on the subscales Anxiety/Depression and Withdrawl/Depression of the Youth Self Report (YSR). Maternal warmth was assessed using self-reports on the Warmth/Involvement subscale of the Parenting Practices Questionnaire (PPQ). The hypotheses were tested using the Baron and Kenny method. The current study found that adolescents with more emotional stable mothers had less anxious problems, and adolescents with more extraverted and conscientious mothers had less withdrawn problems. The current study found a link between more maternal extraversion and agreeableness and more maternal warmth. A relation between maternal warmth and internalizing problems was not found.