The Relationship Between Empathy, Peer Acceptance, and Prosocial Behavior in Young Children Without Disabilities in Inclusive and Non-Inclusive Classrooms

1. The Present Study Based on the relationships among these variables and the study objectives, we propose the following theoretical model (see Figure 1) and hypotheses: H1: Prosocial behavior in young children without disabilities is higher in inclusive classrooms than in non-inclusive classrooms. H2: There is a positive relationship between empathy, peer acceptance, and prosocial behavior in both inclusive and non-inclusive classrooms, with peer acceptance mediating the relationship between empathy and prosocial behavior. H3: The relationship between empathy, peer acceptance, and prosocial behavior is stronger in inclusive classrooms than in non-inclusive classrooms.