Mediator effects in the social development model: an examination of constituent theories.
BACKGROUND
The social development model (SDM) provides an explanatory framework for the progression of antisocial behaviour in children and adolescents. Although previous research has assessed the predictive validity of the model, alternative associations based on the SDM's constituent theories have not been examined.


METHODS
Using structural equation modelling, a series of direct paths was examined for mediation by SDM constructs. Data for the study consisted of teacher-, parent- and self-report of 1016 fourth- and fifth-grade students from the Raising Healthy Children project, a longitudinal etiological study with an embedded preventive intervention.


RESULTS
Four of the seven paths examined were partially or totally mediated by SDM constructs. Specifically, the relationship between prosocial bonding and adolescent antisocial behaviour, as hypothesized by social control theory, was fully mediated by prosocial beliefs. As hypothesized by social learning theory, students' socioemotional and cognitive skills significantly predicted antisocial behaviour, independent of partial mediation through rewards, bonding and beliefs. As hypothesized by differential association theory, involvement with both prosocial and antisocial persons was directly associated with respective prosocial and antisocial beliefs, independent of partial mediation through rewards and bonding.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest additional associations that are not currently specified in the SDM and underscore the importance of re-examining hypotheses from constituent theories when integrating developmental models of antisocial behaviour.
Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98115, USA. ricbrown@u.washington.edu
Eric C
EC
Brown
Richard F
RF
Catalano
Charles B
CB
Fleming
Kevin P
KP
Haggerty
Robert D
RD
Abbott
Rebecca R
RR
Cortes
Jisuk
J
Park
D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006803:Human Development; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010290:Parents; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012926:Social Control, Formal; D013663:Teaching