# Mediating effects of positive self-beliefs, social emotions, and worry on childhood socioeconomic status and prosocial and antisocial rule-breaking

## TL;DR

This study explores how childhood socioeconomic status affects prosocial and antisocial behaviors through self-beliefs, social emotions, and worry in Chinese adolescents.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific mediating pathways of positive self-beliefs, social emotions, and worry in the relationship between childhood SES and rule-breaking behaviors.

## Key findings

- Childhood SES influences prosocial and antisocial behaviors through positive self-beliefs and worry.
- Social emotions and worry also mediate the impact of SES on both types of behaviors.
- Intervention programs should focus on improving SES and emotional factors to promote prosocial behaviors.

## Abstract

Examining the impact of childhood socioeconomic status (SES) on prosocial and antisocial behaviors through positive self-beliefs, social emotions, and worry could be critical for intervention strategies. This study collected data, including sociodemographic characteristics, childhood socioeconomic status, the Oxford positive self, the Dunn Worry Questionnaire, social anxiety scale for social media users, prosocial and antisocial rule-breaking, and social–emotional expertise in eastern China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to scrutinize pathways from childhood SES to prosocial and antisocial behaviors through positive self-beliefs, social emotions, and worry. A total of 482 adolescents, mean age was 18.58 months (SD = 1.11). Childhood SES significantly influenced prosocial and antisocial behaviors through positive self-beliefs and worry. Childhood SES significantly influenced prosocial and antisocial behaviors through social emotions, positive self-beliefs and worry. Childhood SES significantly influenced prosocial and antisocial behaviors through social emotions and worry. Childhood SES significantly influenced prosocial and antisocial behaviors through worry. The findings highlight the need for intervention programs in upper- and middle-income countries (UMICs) that aim to improve prosocial behaviors by fostering childhood SES through positive self-beliefs, social emotions, and worry.