The Relationship Between Child and Parental Social Competence

Abstract

This study focused on the social-participation behavior of parents as a potential influence on the development of socially competent behavior in their kindergarten children. We hypothesized that parental social participation with friends and in community activities would provide a salient model for observational learning. Forty-two families with kindergarten children participated in the study. Interviews with parents detailed their social contacts in specific time periods just prior to the interview. The assessment of social competency of the children included measures of social behavior, popularity, and social cognitive ability. Correlational analysis showed a more consistent modeling pattern of satisfying social participation for mothers as compared to fathers. Social participation with friends by mothers and fathers and social participation in the community for mothers were consistently predictive of the children's social competency.