The relations among young children's peer-reported trustworthiness, inhibitory control, and preschool adjustment

Abstract

Sixty-five (38 male and 27 female) preschool children (mean age = 5 years 1 month) completed measures of peers' trustworthiness (promise keeping and secret keeping). Teachers rated the preschool children's inhibitory control, trustworthiness, and preschool adjustment. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) yielded support for the hypothesized model. The expected positive paths were found from (1) gender to preschool adjustment and inhibitory control, (2) age to peer-reported trustworthiness, (3) peer-reported trustworthiness to preschool adjustment, (4) inhibitory control to peer-reported trustworthiness, and (5) inhibitory control to preschool adjustment. The findings confirmed the hypothesized development of trustworthiness with age and girls' advantage over boys in inhibitory control and preschool adjustment. The findings supported the hypotheses that trustworthiness is associated with preschool adjustment and mediates, in part, the relation between inhibitory control and preschool adjustment.

Young children's interpersonal trust consistency as a predictor of future school adjustment

“…The results from the current study contribute to the growing literature on the importance of trust and trustworthiness for children's psychosocial adjustment (Bernath & Feshbach, 1995;Betts & Rotenberg, 2007a;Betts et al, 2009;Rotenberg et al, 2010;Rotenberg, Boulton, & Fox, 2005;Rotenberg, MacDonald et al, 2004;Rotenberg, McDougall et al, 2004;Rotenberg et al, 2008). Further, the findings of the present study extend previous research by exploring the direct relationship between interpersonal trust consistency and young children's school adjustment over a year.…”

“…Trust is important for relationship formation and maintenance and Rotenberg et al (2008) highlighted the importance of trust for children's preschool adjustment. Further, both positive peer relationships (Johnson, Ironsmith, Snow, & Poteat, 2000) and positive teacher-child relationships (Birch & Ladd, 1997;Howes, Phillipsen, & Peisner-Feinberg, 2000) facilitate Running head: YOUNG CHILDREN'S TRUST CONSISTENCY 20 young children's transition to school and their school adjustment.…”

“…The propensity to trust others, and to engage in trustworthy behaviour, is associated with psychosocial adjustment (Bernath & Feshbach, 1995;Rotenberg, Boulton, & Fox, 2005;Rotenberg, MacDonald, & King, 2004;Rotenberg, McDougall et al, 2004) and school adjustment during childhood (Betts & Rotenberg, 2007a;Betts, Rotenberg, & Trueman, 2009;Rotenberg et al, 2010;Rotenberg, Michalik, Eisenberg, & Betts, 2008). The likely mechanism that underpins these relationships is that trust and trustworthiness facilitate the development of peer relationships which, in turn, aid positive school adjustment (Betts & Rotenberg, 2007a).…”

Children’s trust and the development of prosocial behavior

“…The observed actor effects and partner effects as measures of trust beliefs and trustworthiness replicate those found in children from a range of cultures (e.g., . Research has also yielded wide evidence for the reliability and validity of these measures (Rotenberg, Michalik, Eisenberg, & Betts, 2008).…”

An investigation of children’s peer trust across culture: Is the composition of peer trust universal?

“…The present research focused on the reliability and emotional bases of Rotenberg's (1994Rotenberg's ( , 2010 BDT interpersonal trust framework and operationalized these bases as promisekeeping and secret-keeping trust respectively, because children can readily and reliably report those activities Rotenberg et al, 2008). The present research examined whether: (1) the components of trust could be identified separately in children from the UK, Italy, and Japan using the SRM; (2) at a country level there were gender differences Running head: CROSS-CULTURAL INVESTIGATION OF CHILDREN'S TRUST 10 in the children's trust beliefs and ascribed trustworthiness; and (3) across countries there were variations in the strength of children's trust beliefs and ascribed trustworthiness.…”