The investigation of the factors that explain the relationship between reactive and proactive maternal sensitivity and prosocial behaviors

The main aim of the study is to examine the factors (related to both the mother and the child) that explain the reactive and proactive sensitivity tendencies of mothers with preschool-aged children. Additionally, the study aims to assess the relationships between reactive and proactive maternal sensitivity and the child's prosocial behavior within the framework of mediation and moderation effects. Specifically, the mediating role of the child's emotion understanding skills and the moderating roles of the child's gender and temperament. In line with the study's objectives, the Reactive and Proactive Maternal Sensitivity Scale, based on maternal reports, was first developed and its psychometric properties were tested in a preliminary study. The preliminary study was conducted with 292 mothers (M= 35.13, SD = 4.70) with children aged between 3 and 6 years. The results of the preliminary study revealed that the Reactive and Proactive Maternal Sensitivity Scale, consisting of 16 items and 2 sub-dimensions, has valid and reliable psychometric properties. A total of 280 mothers (M = 34.18, SD = 4.88) and their children (M = 55.26, SD = 10.57, 54.6% girls) participated in the main study. All measurements were evaluated by using self-report obtained from mothers. Only child's emotional understanding was evaluated by using a task that implemented by researcher. The findings showed number of children, mother's autonomous self-construal, mother's interest and curiosity in mental states, and child's social temperament positively predicted reactive sensitivity. On the other hand, number of children, mother's relational self-construal, mother's certainty about mental states, interest and curiosity in mental states, and child's emotional temperament positively predicted proactive sensitivity, whereas mother's educational level and autonomous self-construal negatively predicted it. The mother's reactive and proactive sensitivity directly predicted helping and comforting. Sensitivity tendencies did not predict sharing directly, but indirectly through the child's emotions understanding. The child's tendency to exhibit higher levels of active or social temperament moderated the effect of reactive sensitivity on prosocial behaviors, while the tendency to display higher levels of emotional temperament moderated the influence of proactive sensitivity on prosocial behaviors. Finally, reactive sensitivity for girls and proactive sensitivity for boys were associated with an increase in prosocial behaviors.