The Effects of Children's Temperament on Their Prosocial Behavior: The Parallel Mediating Roles of Executive Function and Paternal Parenting Behavior
Abstract
To investigate the mechanisms underlying the influence of child temperament on prosocial behavior, this study examined the mediating roles of individual-level executive function and environmental-level paternal parenting behavior. A total of 915 families from a city in East China were recruited as participants, and questionnaire surveys and behavioral tasks were administered. The results revealed that effortful control significantly and positively predicted prosocial behavior. Furthermore, executive function and negative paternal parenting behavior served as parallel mediators in the relationship between effortful control and prosocial behavior, whereas the mediating effect of positive paternal parenting behavior was not significant. These findings indicate that effortful control in preschool children can indirectly promote prosocial behavior through two pathways: an intrinsic cognitive pathway by enhancing executive function, and an environmental pathway by reducing negative paternal parenting behavior. These findings provide empirical evidence for understanding the development of prosocial behavior in early childhood.
Document Type: Original article
Cited as: Yu, Z., Zhou, K., Liu, Y., & Hao, J. (2026). The effects of children's temperament on their prosocial behavior: The parallel mediating roles of executive function and paternal parenting behavior. Educational Research Advances, 1(3), 174-185. https://doi.org/10.46690/era.2026.03.04
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46690/era.2026.03.04Keywords:
Temperament, Prosocial behavior, Executive functio, Paternal parenting behavioDownloads
References
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