The Influence of Personality on Children’s White Lie Behavior: The Parallel Mediating Effect of “Cold” and “Hot” Executive Functions

doi:10.12139/j.1672-0628.2022.02.014

Abstract

Abstract: This study aimed to explore how personality affects preschool children’s white lie behavior and the mediating effects of “cold” and “hot” executive function. The research mainly adopted questionnaire and test method, to test a total of 218 preschool children (age range 3~6 years, 103 boys and 115 girls) from three kindergartens in Tianjin in relation to personality, verbal ability, cold and hot executive function and white lie behavior. Results indicated that: 1) With age and verbal ability controlled, intellectual characteristics and pro-sociality significantly positively predicted white lie behavior directly. 2) “Cold” executive function played a partial mediating role between intellectual characteristics and white lie behavior. 3) “Hot” executive function played a partial mediating role between pro-sociality and white lie behavior. 4) The effect of extroversion on white lie behavior was totally mediated by “hot” executive function. 5) The effect of conscientiousness on white lie behavior was totally mediated by “cold” and “hot” executive function. The results further reveal the internal mechanism of the influence of personality on children’s white lie behavior problems.

Key words: preschool children, personality, “cold”executive function, “hot”executive function, white lie behavior

摘要： 为探讨人格对幼儿白谎行为的影响，及“冷”“热”执行功能的中介作用机制，采用问卷法和测验法对218名3～6岁幼儿的人格、言语能力、“冷”“热”执行功能和白谎行为进行测试。结果显示：控制年龄和言语能力后，智能特征和亲社会性可显著正向预测幼儿白谎行为；“冷”执行功能在智能特征和白谎行为间发挥部分中介作用；“热”执行功能在亲社会性和白谎行为间发挥部分中介作用；“热”执行功能在外倾性和白谎行为间发挥完全中介作用；“冷”“热”执行功能在认真自控和白谎行为间发挥完全中介作用。研究结果进一步揭示了人格对幼儿白谎行为影响的内在机制。

关键词: 幼儿, 人格, “冷”执行功能, “热”执行功能, 白谎行为

CLC Number:

B844

SUN Yunrui, HAN Yinghong, LYU Yong, LIU Fang. The Influence of Personality on Children’s White Lie Behavior: The Parallel Mediating Effect of “Cold” and “Hot” Executive Functions[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2022, 20(2): 240-247.

孙云瑞, 韩映虹, 吕勇, 刘芳. 人格对幼儿白谎行为的影响：“冷”“热”执行功能的并行中介作用[J]. 心理与行为研究, 2022, 20(2): 240-247.

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