The Influence of Executive Functions and Emotion Regulation on Teacher-Rated Social Behaviors in Middle Childhood

Abstract

THE INFLUENCE OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS AND EMOTION REGULATION ON TEACHER-RATED SOCIAL BEHAVIORS IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD Tennisha Natasha Riley, M.A. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University 2015 Director: Zewelanji Serpell, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychology Department of Psychology Early social interactions are important to developing and maintaining positive social relationships in childhood. It is well understood that the social development is dependent on a number of developmental changes in both cognition and emotion. While most research has focused on cognitive and emotional models of social behaviors separately, a consideration for research investigating social behaviors is to examine cognitive processing and emotional processing concurrently. The current work focuses on the relationship between the executive processes involved in cognition and emotion regulation, and the influence on adaptive (social skills) and maladaptive (aggressive behavior) social behaviors. Specifically, the reformulated social behavioral model developed by Lemerise & Arsenio (2000) , as well as integrative model of social-cognitive-affective behavior (Beauchamp & Anderson, 2010) will guide this work and help specify the relationship between specific executive functions (working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility), emotion regulation, and children’s social behaviors in middle childhood.