Masalah internalizing yang terjadi pada anak usia dini ditemukan berkaitan erat dengan parenting stress yang dialami ibu. Kapasitas kognitif berupa executive function (EF) diduga dapat menjembatani hubungan antara kedua variabel tersebut, di mana keberadaan kapasitas EF yang baik dianggap dapat menghindarkan anak dari risiko mengembangkan masalah internalizing di kemudian hari. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui peran dari defisit pada EF anak dalam memediasi hubungan antara parenting stress ibu dan masalah internalizing anak. Sebanyak 207 ibu kandung dari anak berusia 3 hingga 8 tahun tanpa masalah psikologis dan neurologis berpartisipasi di dalam penelitian. Melalui uji statistik mediasi menggunakan PROCESS Hayes, ditemukan bahwa defisit EF pada anak mampu memediasi secara penuh kaitan antara parenting stress ibu dan masalah internalizing anak. Hasil tersebut menunjukkan pentingnya mempertimbangkan kapasitas EF anak dalam memahami terjadinya masalah internalizing anak. Intervensi untuk mengatasi masalah internalizing anak juga dapat diarahkan melalui pengembangan kapasitas EF anak.

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Research has demonstrated that internalizing problems in young children was associated to maternal parenting stress. A cognitive ability called the executive function (EF) is considered to mediates the relationship between these variables, where a good EF is considered a protective factor that helps to keep the children from developing further internalizing problems. This research is intended to study the role of the deficit in children’s EF in mediating the relationship between maternal parenting stress and a child’s internalizing problem. A total of 207 biological mothers of children aged 3 to 8 years old with no medical record of psychological and neurological problems participated in this study. Through statistical mediation analysis using PROCESS Hayes, we found that the deficit in children’s EF fully mediated the relationship between the maternal parenting stress and children’s internalizing problem. This result indicated the importance of considering the children’s EF capacity in understanding the manifestation of children’s internalizing problem. Interventions designed to reduce internalizing problems could also be directed through improving children’s EF capacity.