Examining the Longitudinal Associations Between Paternal and Maternal Involvement and Social Competence Among Chinese Young Children via an Extended Cross-Lagged Panel Model

Abstract

This longitudinal study followed 1880 Chinese young children (Mage = 2.99 years at T1, Mage = 4.01 at T2, Mage = 5.01 at T3; 927 girls and 953 boys). An extended cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) was applied to examine reciprocal associations amongst paternal involvement, maternal involvement, and children's social competence, with social competence modelled as a latent variable at each wave. Results showed that paternal involvement, maternal involvement, and social competence remained stable over time. Earlier paternal and maternal involvement was not significantly related to later social competence. In contrast, children's social competence was positively associated with subsequent paternal and maternal involvement. Moreover, paternal and maternal involvement were negatively correlated with each other over time. These findings indicate child-driven associations between social competence and parental involvement, implying that parents should recognise this link and adjust their participation to support children's social development.