Strengthening the Social Information–Processing Skills of Children A Controlled Test of the Let’s Be Friends Program in China

Objective:The study had two objectives (a) to adapt for Chinese children an intervention designed to strengthen the social information–processing (SIP) skills of children in the United States, and (b) to pilot test the adapted intervention in China.Methods:Adaptation of the Making Choices program involved reviewing Chinese literature on child development, translating and back-translating a treatment manual, modifying intervention content, and engaging experts to review program materials. Children (n = 91), ages 8–10, in five after-school child care centers in Tianjin, China, received the program. After propensity score adjustments, the skills of children who received the program were compared to the skills of children (n = 123) recruited from neighborhood primary schools.Results:The adapted program appears to have strengthened encoding skills. Patterns for other information-processing skills were promising but mixed.Conclusion:The program has the potential to strengthen the SIP skills of children in China.