Effects of Household Chaos on Preschoolers’ Aggression and Prosocial Behavior: Sleep Problems and Executive Function as Mediators

Abstract

Household chaos, represented by high levels of disorganization and instability in the home, has been linked with suboptimal outcomes for preschoolers. The aim of this study was to examine the roles that sleep problems and executive function play in the association between household chaos and preschoolers’ aggression and prosocial behavior. The sample for the study consisted of 420 preschoolers and their mothers. The mothers provided reports on the level of chaos in the home and their preschoolers’ sleep problems, executive function, and social behavior, including aggression and prosocial behavior. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling. When preschoolers’ sleep problems and executive function were included in the model as mediators, the results indicated that household chaos did not have direct effects on preschoolers’ aggression and prosocial behavior. Such effects were instead serially mediated by preschoolers’ sleep problems and executive function, respectively. The higher the degree of household chaos, the more preschoolers displayed sleep problems and deficits in executive function, resulting in more aggression and less prosocial behavior. The findings from this study emphasize the significance of reducing household chaos in order to reduce preschoolers’ aggression and promote prosocial behavior. They also underscore the need to identify additional variables that mediate the impact of household chaos on preschoolers’ social outcomes.