Effects of parenting, teachers' leadership, friends' delinquency, and residents' collective efficacy on social cognitive biases

Abstract

The present research investigated influences of multiple socialization agents on social cognitive biases that may explain youths' anti-social behavior. It was predicted that parenting, teachers' leadership, and friends' delinquency would influence social cognitive biases directly, whereas community residents' collective efficacy would be an antecedent of parenting and teachers' leadership. Primary and junior high school students and their parents (N= 1,404 pairs) completed a questionnaire. Structural equation modeling revealed that collective efficacy suppressed social cognitive biases, mediated by parenting and teachers' leadership. Perceived parenting, teachers' leadership, and friends delinquency influenced social cognitive biases. Different mechanisms by which community residents may influence parents and teachers were implied in that informal social control promoted parenting, whereas social cohesion and trust promoted maintenance functions of teachers.