Toddlers' anxiety predicts their creativity at the age of five: The chain mediation effects of general cognition and mastery motivation

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2022.00799

Abstract

Abstract:

Early childhood anxiety is a common mental health problem that affects the development of the individual central executive function, which reflects the process of creative problem-solving. In this study, a longitudinal study was designed to explore the long-term effect of preschool children's anxiety on their creativity as well as the potential mechanism. Ninety-six families (42 boys and 54 Girls) from BEIJING participated in the study. At the age of 1 and 2, the mother filled in the Social Assessment Scale for children aged 12-36 months of Chinese version and the family Basic Information Questionnaire. The Bayley Scale for Infant and Child Development was used to assess children's general cognitive abilities at age 2; at age 3, mothers reported their children's mastery of motivation; and at age 5, the Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement was used to assess children's creativity. The results show that: (1) toddlers' anxiety (general anxiety and separation anxiety) can negatively predict their creativity at the age of 5; (2) general cognition and mastery motivation play an important role in linking toddlers' anxiety (general anxiety and separation anxiety) and preschoolers' creativity; (3) toddlers' general anxiety in early childhood can also have a negative effect on their creativity at 5 years old indirectly through their motivation.

Key words: general anxiety, separation anxiety, general cognition, mastery motivation, creativity

CHENG Tong, CHENG Nanhua, WANG Meifang, WANG Zhengyan. (2022). Toddlers' anxiety predicts their creativity at the age of five: The chain mediation effects of general cognition and mastery motivation. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 54(7), 799-812.

Figures/Tables 6

References 97

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Variables	Sample size	Maximum value	Minimum value	Boy	Girl	t	p
1-year-old, general anxiety	76	1.50	0	0.45 ± 0.37	0.41 ± 0.37	0.35	0.72
1-year-old, separation anxiety	76	1.67	0	0.76 ± 0.38	0.75 ± 0.47	0.03	0.97
2-years-old, general anxiety	79	1.25	0	0.35 ± 0.31	0.39 ± 0.34	-0.49	0.63
2-year-old, separation anxiety	79	1.75	0	0.70 ± 0.36	0.65 ± 0.40	0.54	0.59
2-year-old, general cognition	75	18	6	10.97 ± 2.38	11.35 ± 2.66	-0.64	0.52
3-years-old, mastery motive	69	161	100	137.04 ± 10.74	135.50 ± 10.40	0.59	0.56
5-year-old, fluency	75	82	6	30.33 ± 14.90	34.42 ± 18.09	-1.03	0.31
5-year-old, originality	75	114	3	41.27 ± 26.15	46.02 ± 27.43	-0.75	0.46
5-year-old, imagination	75	22	10	16.63 ± 2.71	16.38 ± 2.44	0.43	0.67
5 years old, creativity	75	2.42	-1.66	-0.08 ±.99	0.05 ± 1.02	-0.56	0.58

Variables	Sample size	Maximum value	Minimum value	Boy	Girl	t	p
1-year-old, general anxiety	76	1.50	0	0.45 ± 0.37	0.41 ± 0.37	0.35	0.72
1-year-old, separation anxiety	76	1.67	0	0.76 ± 0.38	0.75 ± 0.47	0.03	0.97
2-years-old, general anxiety	79	1.25	0	0.35 ± 0.31	0.39 ± 0.34	-0.49	0.63
2-year-old, separation anxiety	79	1.75	0	0.70 ± 0.36	0.65 ± 0.40	0.54	0.59
2-year-old, general cognition	75	18	6	10.97 ± 2.38	11.35 ± 2.66	-0.64	0.52
3-years-old, mastery motive	69	161	100	137.04 ± 10.74	135.50 ± 10.40	0.59	0.56
5-year-old, fluency	75	82	6	30.33 ± 14.90	34.42 ± 18.09	-1.03	0.31
5-year-old, originality	75	114	3	41.27 ± 26.15	46.02 ± 27.43	-0.75	0.46
5-year-old, imagination	75	22	10	16.63 ± 2.71	16.38 ± 2.44	0.43	0.67
5 years old, creativity	75	2.42	-1.66	-0.08 ±.99	0.05 ± 1.02	-0.56	0.58

Variable	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
1. General anxiety at T1	-
2. Separation anxiety at T1	0.48^**	-
3. General anxiety at T2	0.31^*	0.11	-
4. Separation anxiety at T2	0.26^*	0.29^*	0.42^**	-
5. General cognition at T2	-0.20	-0.22⁺	-0.27^*	-0.21⁺	-
6. Mastery of motivation at T3	-0.15	0.001	-0.38^**	-0.1	0.22⁺	-
7. Creativity at T4	-0.22	-0.18	-0.35^**	-0.38^**	0.16	0.39^**	-
8. Maternal education at T1	-0.12	-0.24^*	0.01	0.05	0.03	-0.04	-0.01	-
9. Father education at T1	-0.13	-0.1	0.02	0.12	-0.002	0.00	-0.05	0.38^**	-
10. Mother's income at T1	0.05	-0.18	0.02	0.07	0.06	-0.30^*	-0.08	0.31^**	0.29^*	-
11. Father's income at T1	-0.16	-0.13	-0.06	0.07	0.13	-0.14	-0.03	0.35^**	0.38^**	0.57^**	-
12. Maternal sensitivity at T1	0.02	-0.05	0.02	0.06	0.03	0.00	-0.12	0.02	0.02	-0.09	-0.01	-

Variable	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
1. General anxiety at T1	-
2. Separation anxiety at T1	0.48^**	-
3. General anxiety at T2	0.31^*	0.11	-
4. Separation anxiety at T2	0.26^*	0.29^*	0.42^**	-
5. General cognition at T2	-0.20	-0.22⁺	-0.27^*	-0.21⁺	-
6. Mastery of motivation at T3	-0.15	0.001	-0.38^**	-0.1	0.22⁺	-
7. Creativity at T4	-0.22	-0.18	-0.35^**	-0.38^**	0.16	0.39^**	-
8. Maternal education at T1	-0.12	-0.24^*	0.01	0.05	0.03	-0.04	-0.01	-
9. Father education at T1	-0.13	-0.1	0.02	0.12	-0.002	0.00	-0.05	0.38^**	-
10. Mother's income at T1	0.05	-0.18	0.02	0.07	0.06	-0.30^*	-0.08	0.31^**	0.29^*	-
11. Father's income at T1	-0.16	-0.13	-0.06	0.07	0.13	-0.14	-0.03	0.35^**	0.38^**	0.57^**	-
12. Maternal sensitivity at T1	0.02	-0.05	0.02	0.06	0.03	0.00	-0.12	0.02	0.02	-0.09	-0.01	-

Predictive variable	Creativity T4			Creativity T4
Predictive variable	β	B (SE)	∆R²	β	B (SE)	∆R²
Step One			0.01			0.01
Maternal education at T1	0.04	0.04(0.10)		0.04	0.04(0.10)
Mother's income T1	-0.10	-0.08(0.08)		-0.10	-0.08(0.08)
Step Two			0.16^***			0.17^***
General anxiety at T1 & T2	-0.40^***	-0.45(0.11)
Separation Anxiety at T1 & T2				-0.42^***	-0.47(0.11)
Step Three			0.01			0.01
General cognition at T2	0.12	0.05(0.04)		0.12	0.05(0.04)
Step Four			0.06^**			0.11^***
Mastery of motivation at T3	0.28^**	0.02(0.01)		0.36^***	0.03(0.01)