Effects of Maternal Discourse Style and Content During Memory Talk on Preschoolers’ Prosocial Behavior: Mediating Effects of Preschoolers’ Moral Judgement

Abstract

Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of maternal discourse style and content during memory talk on preschoolers' prosocial behavior. In addition, the mediating role of preschoolers' moral judgement was investigated. Methods: Seventy-two preschoolers (4, 5 years) and their mothers participated in a videotaped laboratory procedure. During the laboratory visit, the mothers and the preschoolers talked about three shared past events (i.e., a happy event, an event involving good behavior, and an event involving bad behavior). The preschoolers' prosocial behavior was evaluated by their mothers. They were also individually interviewed to determine their levels of moral judgement. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, correlations, and simple and multiple regressions. Results: Maternal elaboration was significantly related to preschoolers' moral judgement and prosocial behavior. With respect to maternal discourse content, maternal cognitive state terms were significantly related to the preschoolers' moral judgement and prosocial behavior. The preschoolers' moral judgement had a mediating effect on the relationship between maternal elaboration and the preschoolers' prosocial behavior. In addition, the preschoolers' moral judgement had a mediating effect on the relationship between maternal cognitive mental state terms and the preschoolers' prosocial behavior. Conclusion: Maternal elaboration and cognitive state terms played important roles in the preschoolers' moral judgement and prosocial behavior. These findings can be used as basic sources in developing intervention programs for preschoolers who lack age-appropriate prosocial skills.