# Family Cohesion and Preschool Children’s Prosocial Behaviour in China: The Mediating Effects of Parent–Child Relationships and Parenting Sense of Competence

## TL;DR

Strong family cohesion helps preschool children behave prosocially by improving parent-child relationships and parents' confidence in parenting.

## Contribution

This study identifies how family cohesion influences prosocial behavior in Chinese preschoolers through parent-child relationships and parenting competence.

## Key findings

- Family cohesion directly promotes prosocial behavior in preschool children.
- Parent-child relationships and parenting sense of competence jointly mediate the effect of family cohesion on prosocial behavior.
- Fathers' parenting sense of competence and mothers' parent-child relationships have distinct roles in this mediation.

## Abstract

(1) Background: Prosocial behaviour serves as a crucial indicator of mental health development among preschool children. This study aimed to reveal the path through which family cohesion affects prosocial behaviour in Chinese preschoolers, while exploring the potential roles of parent–child relationships and parenting sense of competence in this relationship; (2) Methods: The questionnaire method was used, with 515 parents of preschool children from Southwest China participating in this survey (115 fathers, 400 mothers; Mage = 34.37, SD = 5.31). (3) Results: The key findings of the study are as follows: 1. Family cohesion exerted a direct and positive significant effect on the prosocial behaviour of preschoolers such that strong family cohesion effectively promoted children’s prosocial behaviour; 2. Parent–child relationships and a sense of competence in terms of parenting played a joint mediating role in the relationship between family cohesion and preschooler’s prosocial behaviour. Specifically, strong family cohesion enhanced the quality of parent–child relationships, which in turn improved parents’ parenting sense of competence, ultimately facilitating the development of prosocial behaviour in preschool children; 3. Further propensity score-matching analysis revealed that the influence of family cohesion on the prosocial behaviour of preschoolers varies by parent, with parenting sense of competence being significant among fathers and parent–child relationships being significant among mothers. (4) Conclusions: In educational practice, greater attention should be paid to the role of fathers in Chinese family education, especially regarding their parenting capabilities and experiences. Additionally, it is essential to encourage Chinese fathers to actively fulfil their parenting duties and responsibilities.