Paternal and Maternal Collectivistic Orientations and Preschoolers' Prosocial Behaviour in Chinese Families: The Mediating Role of Authoritative Parenting

Abstract

Understanding the relations and mechanisms between parental cultural orientations and preschoolers' prosocial behaviour is crucial for helping parents to engage in effective interactions with children during the preschool period. This study explored the relations between parental collectivistic values, authoritative parenting, and the prosocial behaviour of preschool children (M_age at Time 1 = 53.28 months, SD = 10.10; 52.60% boys) in a sample of 787 families in Shanghai, China. Parental collectivistic values and authoritative parenting were assessed by fathers and mothers at Time 1, whereas children's prosocial behaviour was reported by mothers at both Time 1 and Time 2. The results showed that maternal collectivistic orientation was positively related to children's prosocial behaviour at Time 2 (controlling for Time 1), with authoritative parenting playing a mediating role. Although paternal collectivistic orientation showed no direct relation to children's prosocial behaviour at Time 2, it was positively associated with authoritative parenting of both fathers and mothers, which in turn were related to more prosocial behaviour in children. The results indicate how fathers and mothers might play different roles in preschool children's social adjustment, offering a new perspective on the process of family socialisation.