An Investigation of Independent and Simultaneous Role of Interparetnal Conflict and Child Temperament in Predicting Child Prosocial Behaviors

Environmental and predispositional factors are important in development of altruistic behaviors of children. So, the goal of this study was to examine the role of two environmental and dispositional factors, interparental conflict and child temperament in predicting child prosocial behaviors. This study used multi-stage random sampling using the multi-informant model with 413 fifth-grade school children (220 girls and 193 boys) and their mothers and teachers in the city of Tehran. Mothers responded to the interparental conflict and child temperament questionnaires and mothers and teachers responded to children prosocial behavior scale. Standard regression analyses confirmed the role of Interparental conflict, child positive and negative temperament, effortful control and negative sociability in predicting child prosocial behaviors besides multiple and hierarchical regression analyses confirmed the mediational role of child positive temperament and the moderational role of child negative temperament, negative sociability and effortful control in the relationship between interparental conflict and child prosocial behaviors. These findings confirm that children who have vulnerable temperament are at high risk for development of prosocial behavior in the context of the interparental conflict, but positive temperament and effortful control are protective factors for child prosocial behaviors.