Effect of Parent-child Relationships on Positive Peer Relationships among School-aged Children: Mediating Roles of Empathy and Altruism

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical model for prosocial parent-to-peer pathways and test its validity using nationally representative data of school-aged children in South Korea. To be specific, this study aims to examine (1) the effect of parent-child relationships on positive peer relationships and (2) the mediating effects of childrens empathy and altruism on the association between parent-child relationships and positive peer relationships. Positive peer relationships, i.e. peer acceptance and friendships, are one of the essential antecedents of school-aged childrens well-being and well-becoming. In line with attachment theory, a substantial body of literature has found that the quality of parent-child relationships is an important predictor of peer acceptance and friendship quality. Yet, a relatively few studies have examined the psychological mechanisms underlying the influence of parent-child relationships on positive peer relationships. Particularly in Korea, little research has been conducted on this positive parent-to-peer pathways, since a focus of childhood research was mainly on negative peer relationships such as peer rejection or bullying. According to previous research findings, a good quality of relationships with parents is likely to foster childrens prosocial orientation such as empathy and altruism, which in turn promotes positive relationships with peers. The present study develops a research model where the effect of parent-child relationship quality on positive peer relationships can be either direct or indirect via empathy and altruism. The main research hypotheses involve: (1) the quality of parent-child relationships will have a positive effect on positive peer relationships, i.e. peer acceptance and friendship quality, and (2) childrens empathy and altruism will mediate the effect of parent-child relationship quality on positive peer relationships. To empirically test the research model and hypotheses, structural equation modeling was performed to analyze the nationally representative data from the 2013 South Korean subsample of the International Survey of Childrens Well-Being. The sample consisted of 4,690 children in 3rd and 5th grade, who are living with at least one parent. All of the major variables were measured using multi-item, self-report indicators. The analytic results indicate that the research model fits the sample data well and explains 29.3% of variance in peer acceptance and 64.6% in friendship quality. All the research hypotheses are supported: (1) the quality of parent-child relationships does have a positive effect on peer acceptance and friendship quality, and (2) childrens empathy and altruism partially mediate the effect of parent-child relationship quality on positive peer relationships. Despite several limitations due to secondary data analysis, this study has a significance in that it develops a theoretical model for prosocial parent-to-peer pathways and empirically examine its validity with nationally representative data of school-aged children. This study calls for more research on Korean childrens positive social relationships and the underlying mechanisms of their prosocial development.