Family–Peer Linkages: The Mediational Role of Attentional Processes

The goal of this study was to examine the role of attention regulation as a mediator between parent–child relationships and peer social skills. Using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development data set, mother–child and father–child relationships measured at 54 months and grade 1 predicted peer social skills at first and third grades. Attentional control processes, especially ability to sustain attention and ratings of attention problems, served as mediators between parent–child relationships and peer outcomes. The implications of these processes for theories of family-peer relationships are noted.