Rui Yang1, Lijin Zhang2, Xiujuan Wu3, Qianqian Fu3, Qing Bao3. 1. School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, China. Electronic address: yangrui6688@snnu.edu.cn. 2. School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, China; Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Xi'an, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Xi'an, China. Electronic address: zhanglijin2013@snnu.edu.cn. 3. School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: China's rapid development and urbanization since the early 1980s have compelled many rural residents to move from rural to urban areas for work, leaving thousands of children at home. OBJECTIVE: This study tested the mediating effect of children's theory of mind on the relationship between caregivers' mind-mindedness and their children's insecure attachment differently depending on the different family status (the moderator) of left-behind and non-left-behind. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were 3 to 6 years old 74 left-behind children (LBHC) and 89 non-left-behind children (NLBHC). SETTINGS: Participants were from rural counties of central China in Henan province that has experienced a large labor migration. METHODS: A cross-sectional moderated mediation model linked mind-mindedness (independent variable) and insecure attachment (dependent variable) through the theory of mind (mediator) and family status (moderator: left-behind/non-left-behind), controlling for age, gender, and siblings. RESULTS: First, LBHC scored higher on insecure-disorganized attachment than NLBHC. Second, the early childhood theory of mind mediated the relationship between the caregiver's mind-mindedness and young children's insecure attachment. Third, family status moderated the effects of the theory of mind on insecure attachment. The mediating role was established only for the left-behind family, and the lower theory of mind ability was associated with the greater insecure attachment of LBHC. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the critical role of mind-mindedness, theory of mind, and family status in the attachment theory and clarify the association between different levels of young children's theory of mind and insecure attachment based on family status.
BACKGROUND: China's rapid development and urbanization since the early 1980s have compelled many rural residents to move from rural to urban areas for work, leaving thousands of children at home. OBJECTIVE: This study tested the mediating effect of children's theory of mind on the relationship between caregivers' mind-mindedness and their children's insecure attachment differently depending on the different family status (the moderator) of left-behind and non-left-behind. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were 3 to 6 years old 74 left-behind children (LBHC) and 89 non-left-behind children (NLBHC). SETTINGS: Participants were from rural counties of central China in Henan province that has experienced a large labor migration. METHODS: A cross-sectional moderated mediation model linked mind-mindedness (independent variable) and insecure attachment (dependent variable) through the theory of mind (mediator) and family status (moderator: left-behind/non-left-behind), controlling for age, gender, and siblings. RESULTS: First, LBHC scored higher on insecure-disorganized attachment than NLBHC. Second, the early childhood theory of mind mediated the relationship between the caregiver's mind-mindedness and young children's insecure attachment. Third, family status moderated the effects of the theory of mind on insecure attachment. The mediating role was established only for the left-behind family, and the lower theory of mind ability was associated with the greater insecure attachment of LBHC. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the critical role of mind-mindedness, theory of mind, and family status in the attachment theory and clarify the association between different levels of young children's theory of mind and insecure attachment based on family status.