Preschool children’s social information processing mediates the link between the quality of the parent‐child relationship and the child’s learning difficulties

Reout Arbel, Inbar Sofri, Einat Elizarov, Yair Ziv

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

(1) Background: This study aims to explore children’s social information processing (SIP) as an explanatory mechanism in the link between parent–child relationship and children’s learning difficulties in kindergarten; (2) Methods: The sample included 115 kindergarteners (62 girls; 53 boys; Mage = 68.5 months, SD = 6.04), their parents and the school teacher. Parents reported on relationship quality with the child and teachers reported on children’s learning difficulties and school achievements. Children’s SIP was assessed with the social information processing interview—pre-school version (3) Results: Mother and father relationship quality with the child associated with children’s SIP; however, only the father’s but not the mother’s quality of relationship with the child was associated with children’s learning difficulties and school achievements. Children’s SIP mediated this latter link; (4) Conclusions: Parents’ relationship quality with the child and children’s SIP are pertinent factors in children’s learning in the early years. The father–child relationship seems to be a strong determinant of a child’s approach to learning and achievement and may have long last-ing effects on children’s mental health.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1972
Pages (from-to)1-15
Number of pages15
JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume18
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 18 Feb 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was funded by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF), grant number 492/16 to the last author.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Keywords

  • Fathers
  • Learning difficulties
  • Parent‐child relationships
  • Preschool
  • Social information processing
  • Father-Child Relations
  • Humans
  • Child, Preschool
  • Male
  • Educational Status
  • Female
  • Parent-Child Relations
  • Schools

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Pollution
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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