The Relationship between Challenging Parenting Behavior and the Creative Personality of 4-6 Years Old Children: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Flexibility

Creative personality are the core drivers of an individual's innovative practices. Early childhood is the budding stage of creative personality, and the development of its traits can lay a solid foundation for creativity in young children. Parenting style is one of the key factors influencing young children's creativity personality. Given the controversy over the effects of different dimensions of parenting styles on young children's creative personality, it is important to refine parenting styles and explore the mechanisms and potential mediators of challenging parenting behaviors. The present study focuses on the relationship between parents' challenging parenting behaviors and 4-6 years olds' creative personality, highlighting the mediating role of cognitive flexibility. By analyzing data from 582 children and their parents in a city in mainland China, the study found that challenging parenting behaviors were significantly associated with children's creative personality, and that cognitive flexibility played a partial mediating role. In addition, this study further suggests appropriate educational practices and provides insights into future research directions.