The Mediating Role of Social Perception in the Relationship between Mother-Child Interaction and Social Skills, as Perceived by Mothers of Preschool-Age Children

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of social perception as a mediator in the relationship between mother-child interaction and social skills from the viewpoint of mothers with preschool-aged children. This is a correlational investigation conducted using structural equation modeling. In 2020, the statistical population included mothers of preschool-aged children in the city of Naeen; 179 mothers were sampled using the available sampling method. The data was collected using the social skills questionnaire (SSRS), the Mother-Preschool Child Interaction Questionnaire (MPCIS), and the Social Understanding Scale (CSUS) were analyzed using structural equation analysis by AMOS software. The direct path coefficient of mother-child interaction to social skills and social perception, as well as social perception to social skills, was found to be positive and statistically significant (p<0.01). The indirect relationship between mother-child interaction and social skills, as mediated by social perception, is also statistically significant (p<0.05). On the basis of the findings, it can be concluded that the quality of mother-child interaction can not only directly explain the child’s social skills, but also indirectly enhance those skills by enhancing the child's social perception.