The Relative Contribution of Maternal Meta-emotion Patterns and Executive Functions in Predicting Oppositional Defiant Disorder among Students with Learning Difficulties (Psychometric- Clinical Study)

    The aim of the present paper is to reveal the relative contribution of maternal meta-emotion patterns and executive functions in predicting Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).The data is collected from a sample of (217) students that have difficulties learning mathematics with an average age of (11.9) and a standard deviation of (0.834). The sample also included the mothers of these students with a mean age (37.57) years, and a standard deviation (2.018).The present research employed the descriptive and clinical approach. The study made use of:  Progressive Matrices Test (Ali, 2016), Scale for Math Learning Difficulties (Al-Zayyat, 2007), the ODD Scale (Al-Desouki, 2015), the Maternal Meta-Emotional Patterns Scale, the Executive Functions Test, a clinical interview questionnaire (prepared by the researcher), and the Sacks Sentences Completion Test (Salama, 1970). Results showed that there is a statistically significant negative correlation at the level (0.01) between the emotion coaching pattern   and ODD, a positive, statistically significant correlation at the level (0.01) between the pattern of emotion (dismissing, Laissez-faire and opposing) and ODD, a negative statistically significant correlation at level (0.01) between executive functions and ODD, and no statistically significant effect of gender, grade  on ODD. Results also revealed that emotion coaching  contributed to the prediction of ODD by (47%), a contribution of the Emotional Executive Functions by (42%), and then the opposing emotion pattern by (22%). The least contributing was found to be the pattern of Laissez-faire emotion  by (10%). the pattern of dismissing emotion and cognitive executive functions did not contribute to predicting ODD. There was a difference in personality dynamics between the two extreme states of students with learning difficulties. The results of the psychometric and clinical study agreed together.