Parent–Child Conflict and Prosocial Behavior in Preschoolers: Social Information Processing Perspective

Objective: This study examined the association between parent–child conflict and preschoolers' prosocial behavior and investigated the mediating role of social information processing (SIP) in this relationship. Background: Although research has established a link between parent–child conflict and child prosocial behavior, the mechanisms underlying this association remain poorly understood. SIP, which bridges early relational dynamics with behavioral outcomes, offers a crucial perspective to explain these mechanisms. Method: A longitudinal, multi-informant design was utilized, involving 309 Chinese preschoolers (152 boys) and their parents. At baseline (T1), mothers and fathers independently reported parent–child conflict. Five months later (T2), children's prosocial behavior was measured using peer nominations, and their SIP abilities (i.e., encoding, competent response generation/evaluation) were assessed through individual interviews. Results: Mother–child conflict (but not father–child conflict) demonstrated a small yet significant negative association with preschoolers' prosocial behavior. Children's SIP was found to fully mediate the relationship between mother–child conflict and prosocial behavior. Specifically, mother–child conflict was associated with lower prosocial behavior through reduced encoding of social information. Additionally, a sequential mediation pathway indicated that mother–child conflict was linked to lower prosocial behavior via diminished encoding ability, which was in turn associated with a limited capacity to generate competent responses. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the pivotal role of SIP in mediating the relationship between mother–child conflict and decreased prosocial behavior, offering a nuanced perspective on how early relational dynamics are associated with socio-emotional development. The findings underscore the potential of targeting SIP skills in family-based interventions to enhance prosocial behavior in young children.