Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Leave-Taking Behavior Between Preschool Children And Their Parents, Elizabeth Y. Aoki

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Behavior of 84 parent-child dyads engaged in separation in preschool settings are presented. A factor analysis and correlation matrix revealed patterns of child-parent-teacher interaction, child-parent tactile-affiliative behavior, and child dependency-attachment behavior. The main pattern showed high parent-teacher gazing, smiling, and approaching interaction and high teacher smiling and gazing activity toward the child. A teacher-mediator theory in which the teacher's presence is important as an anxiety-lessening factor in child-parent leave-taking behavior is suggested and discussed to both interpret the findings and for further leave-taking research.