Objective: This research examined mothers' and preschoolers' uses of mental state terms during pretend play and linked such use to children's independent mental state terms used in hypothetical narratives. Methods: Fifty four-year-olds and their mothers were engaged in pretend play and the preschoolers were asked to provide hypothetical narratives. Mothers' and preschoolers' mental state terms were analyzed in terms of types and frequencies. Results: During pretend play, the mothers and preschoolers used desire state terms most variously and frequently, followed by cognitive and emotion state terms. In the hypothetical narratives, the preschoolers used desire state terms most variously and frequently; however they talked about emotion state terms more variously and cognitive state terms more frequently. In addition, the mothers' mental state terms were correlated with the preschoolers' mental state terms during the pretend play, and the mothers' and preschoolers' uses of mental state terms during pretend play were related to the preschoolers' mental state terms in hypothetical narratives. Conclusion: Findings from this study highlight that, during the preschool period, a mothers' mental state language might foster her child's understanding of mental states in himself/herself and in others.
Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of maternal discourse style and content during memory talk on preschoolers' prosocial behavior. In addition, the mediating role of preschoolers' moral judgement was investigated. Methods: Seventy-two preschoolers (4, 5 years) and their mothers participated in a videotaped laboratory procedure. During the laboratory visit, the mothers and the preschoolers talked about three shared past events (i.e., a happy event, an event involving good behavior, and an event involving bad behavior). The preschoolers' prosocial behavior was evaluated by their mothers. They were also individually interviewed to determine their levels of moral judgement. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, correlations, and simple and multiple regressions. Results: Maternal elaboration was significantly related to preschoolers' moral judgement and prosocial behavior. With respect to maternal discourse content, maternal cognitive state terms were significantly related to the preschoolers' moral judgement and prosocial behavior. The preschoolers' moral judgement had a mediating effect on the relationship between maternal elaboration and the preschoolers' prosocial behavior. In addition, the preschoolers' moral judgement had a mediating effect on the relationship between maternal cognitive mental state terms and the preschoolers' prosocial behavior. Conclusion: Maternal elaboration and cognitive state terms played important roles in the preschoolers' moral judgement and prosocial behavior. These findings can be used as basic sources in developing intervention programs for preschoolers who lack age-appropriate prosocial skills.
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