Poster #70 - ​Values and Behavior in Early Childhood: The Mediating Role of Social Information Processing and Attitudes

• In Event: Poster Session 07

Abstract

The value-behavior relationships are evident in different contexts and age groups, and include a wide range of behaviors (e.g., Abramson et al., 2018; Arieli et al., 2020; Benish-Weisman et al., 2021; Schwartz et al., 2010). However, much remains to be learned about the mechanism underlying these relationships. In our study, we offer one explanatory socio-cognitive mechanism that includes social information processing (SIP) and attitudes as potential mediators.
Based on both SIP (Crick & Dodge, 1994) and values (Schwartz, 1994) theories, the ways by which individuals process information during their interactions with others are strongly influenced by their values. Yet, individuals advocate different values in life (Schwartz, 1994) and are therefore influenced in different and sometimes contradictory ways. The opposing values of self-transcendence and self-enhancement (ST vs. SE) are an example, while one may advocate self-transcendence values that promote a more prosocial mindset, another may advocate self-enhancement values (SE) that promote a more egocentric approach. These different influences may lead to different patterns of social information processing. Later, these differences in the ways we constantly process the social information around us, such as in a specific social environment we frequently engage in (e.g., school, work, family, etc.), are likely to affect our attitudes toward that social environment (e.g., Van Vianen, 1997), which in turn, can impact how we socially behave in that particular environment (e.g., Ajzen et al., 2018).
This study examined the above explanatory mechanism of the value-behavior relationships among 5-year-old children. Specifically, we used pathways analysis to examine the relationships between kindergarten children’s values and their social behaviors in class, via their values-oriented SIP patterns, and their attitudes toward class and teacher.
Study participants included 121 children (59 girls; Mage = 67.45 months, SDage = 6.56 months). Children’s values were obtained via the Animated Values Instrument (AVI; Lee et al., 2017). Children’s values-oriented SIP patterns in kindergarten environments (Self-transcendence Vs. Self-enhancement) were measured using a new measure entitled The Social Information Processing and Values Interview (SIP-VI) which is based on The Social Information Processing Interview for Preschoolers (SIPI-P; see Ziv & Sorongon, 2011). Children’s attitudes toward class and teacher were examined using the Feeling About School scale (FAS; Valeski & Stipek, 2001). Lastly, children’s social behaviors were reported by teachers using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ, Goodman, 1997).
As hypothesized, this study’s overall model fitted the data (NFI = .93, CFI = .98, RMSEA = .06, SRMR = .04; Kline, 2016). Specifically, children’s preferences of self-transcendence values over self-enhancement values were positively linked to their prosocial behaviors and negatively linked to their antisocial behaviors, and these associations were mediated by the children’s bias toward more self-transcendence-oriented SIP patterns (over self-enhancement-oriented SIP) and their subsequent more positive attitudes toward the kindergarten class (see Figure 1).
This study provides important evidence of an explanatory socio-cognitive mechanism for the value-behavior relationships. In addition, it expands our understanding of the links between different aspects of young children's social cognition, which is associated with their social conduct in class.

Authors

• Einat Elizarov, University of Haifa
  Presenting Author

• Maya Benish-Weisman, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

• Yair Ziv, University of Haifa