Mastery Motivation and Maternal Stress in Typically Developing Children and Children With Neurodevelopmental...

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Developmental Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

• Mastery motivation (MM) is crucial for child development.
• Maternal stress can influence a child's developmental trajectory.
• Understanding these factors is key for supporting children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD).

Purpose of the Study:

• Compare MM and maternal stress between children with NDD and typical development (TD).
• Investigate the association between maternal stress and child MM.
• Identify specific areas of MM affected by maternal stress in different groups.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study design.
• Participants: Mothers of TD children (n=89) and NDD children (n=38).
• Measures: Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaire and Parenting Stress Index-Short Form.

Main Results:

• Mothers of NDD children reported higher stress and their children showed lower instrumental MM and General Competence.
• Higher maternal stress correlated with lower persistence (social, cognitive, motor) in both groups.
• General Competence in NDD group negatively correlated with all maternal stress subscales.

Conclusions:

• Maternal stress is linked to reduced child persistence and competence, particularly in NDD.
• Findings underscore the need for integrated interventions targeting child motivation and parental stress.
• Promoting optimal development requires addressing both child and parent factors.