Relations Between Unsociability, Theory of Mind, and Adjustment Among Kindergartners in China

Research Findings: This study explored the moderating role of theory of mind (ToM) in the association between unsociability and social adjustment among Chinese kindergartners. Participants were 129 children (Mage = 54.72 months, SD = 3.74) from two suburban kindergartens in Shanghai, China. The present study used assessments from multiple sources, including maternal assessments, standardized test tasks, and teacher evaluations. Among the results, unsociability was positively related to peer exclusion, but the relation was not maintained once child gender, age, receptive language ability, ToM and parental education were included. Moreover, the link between unsociability and social adjustment was moderated by ToM. Particularly, unsociability was found to be positively correlated with children's peer exclusion at lower levels of ToM. Practice or Policy: The findings indicate that ToM may be crucial in molding the social adjustment of young children with unsociability.