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Abstract

Background: Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability to understand one’s own and others’ mental states and is closely related to children’s prosocial behavior. Previous research has linked ToM to language skills and sibling factors; however, findings remain inconsistent. Siblings may function as early social partners who support language use and social–cognitive development, thereby influencing ToM. This study examined whether sibling presence moderates the relationship between language skills and ToM in children. Methods: Participants were 117 children aged 4–7 years from the Jabodetabek area, recruited using convenience sampling. A simple moderation analysis with bootstrapping was conducted. Results: Results indicated that sibling presence significantly and positively moderated the relationship between language skills and ToM (b = .19, SE = .07, t(113) = 2.45, p = .01, 95% CI [.03, .35]), such that language skills were more strongly associated with ToM in children with siblings. Conclusion: These findings suggest that siblings may enhance the contribution of language skills to ToM development by providing opportunities for interaction and social–cognitive practice. Future research should examine these relationships in more diverse socioeconomic contexts and consider specific sibling characteristics and the quality of sibling interactions.

Bahasa Abstract

Theory of mind (ToM) merupakan kemampuan untuk memahami keadaan mental diri sendiri dan orang lain serta berkaitan erat dengan perilaku prososial anak. Penelitian sebelumnya menunjukkan bahwa ToM berhubungan dengan kemampuan bahasa dan faktor saudara kandung, tetapi hasilnya masih beragam. Saudara kandung dapat berperan sebagai mitra interaksi awal yang mendukung perkembangan bahasa dan sosial-kognitif anak. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji peran moderasi saudara kandung dalam hubungan antara kemampuan bahasa dan ToM anak. Partisipan penelitian berjumlah 117 anak berusia 4–7 tahun di wilayah Jabodetabek yang diperoleh melalui teknik convenience sampling. Analisis moderasi sederhana dengan bootstrapping menunjukkan bahwa kehadiran saudara kandung secara signifikan dan positif memoderasi hubungan antara kemampuan bahasa dan ToM (b = .19, SE = .07, t(113) = 2.45, p = .01, 95% CI [.03, .35]), dengan hubungan tersebut lebih kuat pada anak yang memiliki saudara kandung. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa saudara kandung dapat memperkuat pengaruh kemampuan bahasa terhadap perkembangan ToM anak melalui kesempatan interaksi sebagai kegiatan yang melatih sosial-kognitif. Penelitian selanjutnya disarankan untuk melibatkan partisipan dengan latar sosioekonomi yang lebih beragam serta mempertimbangkan karakteristik dan kualitas interaksi saudara kandung.

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Ethical Clearance Declaration

This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethical Review Board of Faculty of Psychology Universitas Indonesia (Approval No. 259/FPsi.Komite Etik/PDP.04.00/2023). All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee. Informed consent was obtained from the parents or legal guardians of all participating children prior to data collection. Artificial intelligence tools were used during the manuscript preparation process solely to assist with clarification and improvement of translation and language clarity. The author takes full responsibility for reviewing, verifying, and ensuring the accuracy, appropriateness, and integrity of the final manuscript content.

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