Investigating the Mediating Role of Family Support and Peer Acceptance in the Relationship Between Prosocial Behavior and Well-being of Children: A Causal Mediation Analysis

The aim of this study was to examine the causal pathways from prosocial behavior to well-being in different grades of primary school children. We assessed for whether family support andpeer acceptance mediate this relationship, along to what extent are the possible mediation effects offamily support and peer acceptance are moderated by inter-parental conflict. Participants were 1872children aged ranging from 6 to 13, who were followed up for 9 years (2011 - 2020). The results ofthe causal moderated mediation analysis indicated that for younger children (i.e., grades 3 to 5)prosocial behavior did not lead to higher family support and better well-being, which was contraryto our hypothesis. As expected for older children (i.e., grades 6 to 8), prosocial behavior wasassociated directly and indirectly through peer acceptance with well-being. Moderation resultsshowed that differing levels of inter-parental conflict did not change the strength of family supportor peer acceptance on well-being, which was in contrast to our third hypothesis. These resultssupport the role of peer acceptance as an underlying mechanism involved with the relationshipbetween prosocial behavior and well-being for older children. However, sensitivity results suggestcaution in interpreting the results which points out the potential confounded nature of theserelationships. Results are practically relevant as they inform interventions that target specificdevelopmental stages and types of support to improve children’s well-being.Key words: Causal mediation analysis, children, prosocial behavior, social support, well-being