The Influence of Maternal Anti-Prejudice on Children's Respect for Diversity: The Dual Mediating Effects of Trust and Anti-Prejudice in Children

Objectives: This study examined the effect of maternal anti-prejudice attitudes on children's respect for diversity, focusing on the dual mediating roles of children’s trust and anti-prejudice.Methods: We included 170 pairs of children aged four to five years and their mothers. We collected data through surveys and interviews. We measured maternal anti-prejudice using a combined survey, and assessed children’s trust using the parent-report Holistic Student Assessment. We measured respect for diversity behaviors with the Care Behavior Scale. We evaluated children’s anti-prejudice using a modified version of the Children Prejudice Test Tool, which used picture-card interviews adapted to current contexts. We conducted analyses using SPSS 29.0 and PROCESS macro 4.2.Results: Maternal anti-prejudice showed a positive relationship with children’s trust and respect for diversity, but not directly with children’s anti-prejudice. However, maternal anti-prejudice indirectly predicted children's respect for diversity through two mediators: children's trust and anti-prejudice.Conclusion: Maternal anti-prejudice indirectly increases children's respect for diversity by enhancing trust, which subsequently promotes anti-prejudice. The findings highlight the critical role of trust in the home environment. These results suggest that cultivating trust and anti-prejudice in early childhood may support the children’s development of diversity-respecting behaviors in children.