Social-emotional Behavior Research Articles

A Systematic Review of Parent Socialization of Negative Affect in Clinical Child Samples: Relations to Youth Emotion Regulation Abilities.

Emotion-focused parenting practices, known as parent emotion socialization, play a crucial role in shaping youth's emotion regulation (ER) abilities. The impact of parent emotion socialization behaviors (ESB) on youth ER has been studied extensively in community samples. However, research on these relations in clinical samples is more limited, albeit growing. The current systematic review sought to evaluate the existing literature examining parent ESB of negative affect in various clinical child and adolescent samples. A literature search was conducted in April 2023, resulting in 1153 abstracts being reviewed. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts to identify relevant papers, with 152 articles being independently reviewed in full, of which 26 articles met inclusion criteria and are included in the current review. Studies (16 cross-sectional, 6 longitudinal, 4 intervention) utilized multi-methods of assessing youth ER, including questionnaires, physiological, and observational measures in a range of clinical samples, including youth diagnosed with internalizing, externalizing, and neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as youth at-risk for clinical diagnoses such as physically abused children. Overall, results support significant, negative associations between parent ESB practices and youth emotion dysregulation (rs = .22-.35) and negativity/lability (rs = .19-.60), and positive associations with youth ER abilities (rs = .18-.76). Some studies highlighted varying impacts of parental ESB on children with versus without clinical disorders/symptomology, with effects being more pronounced within clinical populations. Implications for these findings and future research directions are discussed, including the significance of focusing on parent ESB in intervention work with clinical child populations.

Teaching social skills that enable learning and healthy relationships of high achieving students

Social skills are critical behaviors that enable students to effectively navigate their social lives. Further, social skills function as protective factors against emotional behavior concerns and enable strong academic growth. Social skills can be developed and improved via programs implemented in schools. Students identified as gifted have long faced stereotypes as “nerds” or “geeks” with strong academic but weak social skills. Yet, there are few studies investigating the social skills of these students. Thus, we explicated the definition of social skills, their importance, and instructional approaches supported by research. Further, we utilized a national sample of students who provided self-ratings ( N = 325) or were rated by teachers ( N = 322) to compare the social skills and emotional behavior concerns of students identified as gifted or not gifted. Results indicated few differences with notable exceptions for teacher rated cooperation and responsibility skills. Implications for further research and practice are discussed.

Investigation of the association between mothers’ emotion socialization behaviors and children’s ability to understand emotions

Investigation of the association between mothers’ emotion socialization behaviors and children’s ability to understand emotions

Understanding Digital Dementia and Cognitive Impact in the Current Era of the Internet: A Review.

Dementia encompasses symptoms resulting from brain damage that impairs cognitive functions, surpassing natural aging effects. This condition affects emotional regulation, behavior, and motivation while preserving consciousness. Dr. Manfred Spitzer coined the term 'digital dementia,' highlighting the cognitive decline associated with excessive reliance on digital devices such as smartphones and Google, potentially exacerbating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and memory loss. This condition mirrors terms like 'digital amnesia' and 'the Google Effect,' highlighting the brain's tendency to offload peripheral information, leading to panic and forgetfulness. Spitzer's book, Digital Dementia, focuses on gaming effects on children and has thus popularized the term. Teenagers are known to use electronic devices regularly, correlating with rising cognitive impairments. The advent of the internet's fifth generation (5G) has transformed technology use, impacting mental health treatments and clinical practices globally. Digital media's influence on the developing brain encompasses motor skills, language, and cognition. Excessive digital media use in young adults correlates with lower cognitive empathy, affecting interpersonal understanding and facial recognition. Studies link heavy reliance on web-based media to decreased white matter integrity, crucial for language skills. Adolescents may be more vulnerable to anxiety and unrealistic expectations due to digital media overuse. Digital media overuse impacts brain development, especially cognitive and inhibitory control, attention, memory, and reasoning, essential for adapting to dynamic environments. Early exposure to fast-paced media can impair motor skills, spatial awareness, problem-solving, and language learning. Neuroimaging studies reveal that environmental factors like screen usage affect brain networks controlling social-emotional behavior and executive functions. Overreliance on smartphones diminishes gray matter in key brain regions, affecting cognitive and emotional regulation. The internet generation, characterized by advancements such as Web 3.0, introduces artificial intelligence and semantic web technologies, reshaping digital content processing. The neurobiological basis of digital dementia involves changes in the brain structure and function, with excessive screen exposure linked to cognitive impairments. Neuroplasticity, or the brain's adaptability, plays a role in cognitive decline from digital media overuse. Early childhood and adolescent brain development stages exhibit significant plasticity, influencing cognitive trajectories. Addressing digital dementia requires strategies to reduce screen time, promote cognitive exercises, and enhance awareness. Parents should regulate children's screen usage, encourage digital detox periods, and substitute screen time with other activities. Cognitive training programs such as Cogmed (Neural Assembly Int AB, Stockholm, SWE) and CogniFit (San Francisco, CA, USA) can improve memory and attention in older adults. Promoting balanced technology use and educating on the risks of excessive digital media consumption is crucial for maintaining cognitive health in the digital age.

The development of the Sensory Emotional Engagement Checklist (SEE-C): Preliminary reliability and validity

ABSTRACT The Sensory Emotional Engagement Checklist (SEE-C) was developed to assess social emotional challenges in children whose sensory integration and sensory processing differences impact daily life. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the SEE-C for identifying social emotional patterns. Retrospective data were used from parent interviews and consultations at a pediatric clinic in the northeast with occupational therapists that produced items representative of hypothesized social-emotional behavioral subtypes. Factor analysis was conducted to explore construct validity, followed by internal consistency reliability of factor groupings. Correlational analyses were computed for factors within the SEE-C as well as between the SEE-C and the Sensory Processing 3 Dimensions Checklist (SP3D-C). Data were collected from 167 individuals’ charts of children ranging from 4.5 to 13.5 years who were evaluated for sensory integration and sensory processing differences. Factor analysis revealed a four-factor solution that explained the proposed structure of the SEE-C. Internal reliability for SEE-C factors ranged from α = .7 to .8. Correlations were weak but significant within the SEE-C, as well as between factors of the SEE-C and the SP3D-C subscales. Evidence supports the preliminary reliability and validity of the SEE-C as well as suggesting a link between children’s social emotional styles and sensory-related behaviors. The proposed social emotional behavior patterns of the SEE-C also suggest behaviors commonly considered in the mental health field may be reflective of sensory integration and sensory processing differences. These sensory-emotional patterns can further justify the inclusion of pediatric Occupational Therapists as part of the therapeutic intervention team for social emotional challenges in children.

Kindness in the Classroom: Evaluating the Impact of Direct Kindness Instruction on School and Emotional Outcomes in Second-Grade Students

This study explores the effects of direct kindness instruction on second-grade students' social and emotional well-being. Amidst the growing integration of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) into educational curricula, this research specifically focuses on the aspect of kindness, a vital yet often under-explored component of SEL. Conducted in a diverse second-grade classroom in a small Midwestern U.S. town, this study employs an action research methodology, using the Second Step curriculum and weekly kindness missions as interventions. The research is guided by two primary questions: the influence of direct kindness instruction on students' social behavior and its impact on their emotional well-being. The effectiveness of the interventions is evaluated using the Social Academic and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SABERS). Findings indicate significant improvements in students' academic, social, and emotional behaviors, underscoring the effectiveness of kindness instruction in enhancing the overall educational environment. The study highlights the need for incorporating structured SEL components, particularly kindness and empathy, in early education, and suggests future research directions for exploring long-term impacts of SEL interventions.

Expectant mothers' social media emotional support-seeking behavior

In developing countries, the use of digital media for health information by expectant mothers is a relatively new phenomenon, in contrast to developed countries. This study explores whether emotional support and satisfaction are linked and how they affect the use of social media for healthcare information. A non-experimental survey design was employed in this study. Expectant mothers were surveyed in five hospitals in Ghana's capital from May to August 2022 using a questionnaire. After reviewing and cleaning the data, 580 usable responses were obtained. The collected data were analyzed using SmartPLS 4 structural equation modeling. The findings of the study indicate that expectant mothers' decision to adopt digital media for health information is influenced by emotional support on social media (ESPSM) and satisfaction with social media (SATSM). Furthermore, satisfaction with social media partially mediated the effect between ESPSM and social media health information usage (SMHIU). These findings highlight the importance of emotional support and satisfaction with social media platforms in promoting digital health information usage. In particular, emotional support plays a crucial role for women, especially during pregnancy. These discoveries provide valuable insights for healthcare professionals on how best to assist expectant mothers.

Physical and Psychological Symptomatology, Co-Parenting, and Emotion Socialization in High-Conflict Divorces: A Profile Analysis.

Although the consequences of divorce and conflict have been extensively studied, most research has focused on children rather than ex-spouses, although variables such as parental health or co-parenting may have an influence on children's development through processes such as emotion socialization. In addition, the relationship between these variables has never been considered in high-conflict divorces. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze the impact of physical and psychological symptomatology and co-parenting on the emotion socialization patterns of parents experiencing high-conflict divorces. Furthermore, the moderating role of resilience was considered, as it has been highly studied as a coping mechanism in adverse situations but barely in divorce at the parental level. For this purpose, a Latent Profile Analysis was carried out with Mplus 8.10, using a sample of 239 parents from Family Visitation Centers. Results revealed, on the one hand, that parents with fewer physical and psychological symptoms sowed more emotion socialization behaviors than those with more symptomatology. On the other hand, in situations of high interparental conflict, the role of co-parenting and resilience seems less relevant than that of physical and psychological symptomatology when analyzing parental skills like emotion socialization.

The socialization of social–emotional behaviour in early childhood classrooms: child outcomes moderated by socioeconomic risk

ABSTRACT Early childhood educator's emotional socialization may contribute crucially to young children's social–emotional competence. Here, we examined the contributions of self-reported reactions to children's emotions and beliefs about emotional socialization of 90 teachers to the social–emotional competence of 334 pre-schoolers. Teacher-reported emotion socialization, especially as moderated by classroom socioeconomic risk, often predicted pre-schoolers’ end-of-year social–emotional behaviours, independent of child covariates, including children's beginning-of-year premeasures. Only three findings resembled the parent emotion socialization literature, however, and two appeared unique to the pre-school environment. Most were specific to classrooms where children experienced socioeconomic risk. The pattern of moderation findings highlights the importance of context in teachers’ emotional socialization. Suggestions are given for expanded research on the topic and potential applications to assist teachers in their role as emotion socializers.

The Impact of Mentoring Youth Placed At-Risk on the Socialization of Preservice Physical Educators

Purpose: Grounded in occupational socialization theory, the purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of mentoring underserved youth on the socialization of preservice teachers within a community-engaged after-school program. Methods: Data consisted of semistructured interviews, critical incident accounts, and field notes. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data were analyzed inductively using elements of grounded theory and constant comparison. Findings: Four themes were developed. First, each participant entered teacher training to provide positive experiences for students. Second, the practical experience supported preservice teachers in feeling more comfortable in their roles as educators. Third, preservice teachers developed personal relationships with the students in the after-school program. Fourth, preservice teachers internalized the obligation to model healthy social–emotional behaviors. Conclusions: Findings indicate the benefits of mentoring in a community-engaged learning project. Interacting with a diverse population of students can positively impact teacher socialization and feelings toward students and teaching.

Roles of caregiver-child interaction on the association of socioeconomic status with early childhood development: a population-based study in rural China

ObjectiveSocioeconomic status (SES) has been previously associated with children’s early development, health, and nutrition; however, evidence about the potential role of caregiver-child interaction in such associations was limited. This study aimed to explore the effect of caregiver-child interaction on the associations of SES with child developmental outcomes, including early neurodevelopment and social-emotional behavior.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2078 children aged 0–6 in a rural county that just lifted out of poverty in 2020 in Central China. The Ages & Stages Questionnaires-Chinese version (ASQ-C) and the Social-Emotional (ASQ: SE) questionnaire were used to assess children's early neurodevelopment and social-emotional behavior, respectively. Caregiver-child interaction was evaluated with the Brigance Parent–Child Interactions Scale. Regression-based statistical mediation and moderation effect were conducted with the PROCESS macro of SPSS.ResultsChildren with low SES had an increased risk of suspected neurodevelopmental delay [OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.50, 2.44] and social-emotional developmental delay [OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.66]. The caregiver-child interaction partially mediated the associations of SES with child developmental outcomes; the proportion of the indirect effect was 14.9% for ASQ-C total score and 32.1% for ASQ: SE score. Moreover, the caregiver-child interaction had a significant moderation effect on the association of SES with ASQ-C total score (P < 0.05). A weaker association was observed in children with high-level caregiver-child interaction than in medium and low ones. Similar moderating effects were found among boys but not girls.ConclusionCaregiver-child interaction plays a vital role in the relationship between SES and child development. Children with low SES households will benefit more in terms of their early development from intervention programs strengthening caregiver-child interaction.

Meta Analisis: Pengaruh Lingkungan Keluarga dan Sekolah Terhadap Perilaku Sosial-Emosional Pada Anak Usia Dini

This research aims to analyze the influence of family environment interactions on the social-emotional behavior of early childhood. The aim of this research is to find out how much influence family environment interactions have on the social-emotional behavior of early childhood. The method used is meta-analysis, by describing the results of analysis from various studies that have been published nationally in Indonesia, then calculating the effect size. The research sample consisted of ten articles published in accredited national journals in the 2017-2021 period. The instrument used is a coding sheet containing data and information on findings from each article. The results of the analysis show that the average correlation value between family environment interactions and early childhood social-emotional behavior is 0.71, which is included in the high category. These findings indicate that interactions in the family environment have a significant influence on the development of social-emotional behavior in early childhood, and play an important role in forming positive behavior in children.

Family and parenting factors are associated with emotion regulation neural function in early adolescent girls with elevated internalizing symptoms.

A prominent tripartite model proposes that parent role modeling of emotion regulation, emotion socialization behaviors, and the emotional climate of the family are important for young people's emotional development. However, limited research has examined the neural mechanisms at play. Here, we examined the associations between family and parenting factors, the neural correlates of emotional reactivity and regulation, and internalizing symptoms in early adolescent girls. Sixty-four female adolescents aged 10-12 years with elevated internalizing symptoms completed emotional reactivity, implicit (affect labeling) and explicit (cognitive reappraisal) emotion regulation tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Positive family emotional climate was associated with greater activation in the anterior cingulate and middle temporal cortices during emotional reactivity. Maternal emotion regulation difficulties were associated with increased frontal pole and supramarginal gyrus activation during affect labeling, whereas supportive maternal emotion socialization and positive family emotional climate were associated with activation in prefrontal regions, including inferior frontal and superior frontal gyri, respectively, during cognitive reappraisal. No mediating effects of brain function were observed in the associations between family/parenting factors and adolescent symptoms. These findings highlight the role of family and parenting behaviors in adolescent emotion regulation neurobiology, and contribute to prominent models of adolescent emotional development.

Measuring the Replicability of our own Research

In the study of transgenic mouse models of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, we use batteries of tests to measure deficits in behaviour and from the results of these tests, we make inferences about the mental states of the mice that we interpret as deficits in "learning", "memory", "anxiety", "depression", etc. This paper discusses the problems of determining whether a particular transgenic mouse is a valid mouse model of disease X, the problem of background strains, and the question of whether our behavioural tests are measuring what we say they are. The problem of the reliability of results is then discussed: are they replicable between labs and can we replicate our results in our own lab? This involves the study of intra- and inter- experimenter reliability. The variables that influence replicability and the importance of conducting a complete behavioural phenotype: sensory, motor, cognitive and social emotional behaviour are discussed. Then the thorny question of failure to replicate is examined: Is it a curse or a blessing? Finally, the role of failure in research and what it tells us about our research paradigms is examined.

Editorial : Introduction to the special issue on assessing children’s social emotional learning to guide improvement programs

Although the COVID-19 Pandemic began in 2020, it continues to exert a negative impact on the social, emotional, behavioral, and academic wellbeing of many children and youth across the globe (e.g., Bell et al., 2023; Panchal et al., 2023) and throughout Europe (European Education and Culture Executive Agency, 2022). To address these significant needs, researchers, educators, and policymakers have continued to stress the importance of developing instructional and intervention programs that target children’s social and emotional learning (SEL) and emotional behavior concerns (EBC). Many examples of such programs exist in countries throughout Europe (e.g., Cefai, et al., 2018). A particularly notable example is the Promoting Mental Health at Schools (PROMEHS) program (Cefai et al., 2022). Such developments are promising as children and youth continue to need enhanced supports and schools represent an excellent setting to provide it to them.

Examining the Measurement Invariance and Validity of the SSIS SEL Brief + Mental Health Scales – Student Version in Austria and Germany

The SSIS SEL Brief + Mental Health Scales (SSIS SELb+MHS) are multi-informant assessments developed in the United States to assess the social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies and emotional behavior concerns (EBCs) of school-age youth. Although there are translations of the SEL items of the SSIS SELb+MHS available in other languages, a German translation has never been completed and validated, despite the growing need for SEL and mental health assessment in German-speaking countries. To address this need, this study’s primary purpose was the examination of a German translation of the assessment with a specific focus on measurement invariance and concurrent validity invariance testing with 821 3rd through 6th-grade students in Austria and Germany. Results indicated that the SELb+MHS items clustered into 2 SEL factors and 2 EBC factors. With regard to measurement invariance, the SELb+MHS functioned similarly across both Austria and Germany and full scalar invariance was achieved. Additionally, the overall pattern of concurrent validity relationships was as expected and similar across countries. Implications and future directions are discussed.

The role of children’s emotion regulation and maternal emotion socialization in preschoolers’ behavioral difficulties during the COVID-19 lockdown

Turkey, like many countries, implemented protective measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. One such measure involved isolating young children to reduce virus transmission. However, this regulation presented parents with the challenging task of juggling work responsibilities while caring for their young children without the usual support from external resources. Given these difficult circumstances, young children may struggle with emotion regulation, while isolation can impede parents from effectively addressing their children’s negative emotions. This online study aims to examine the dynamic relationship between children’s emotion regulation ability and maternal emotion socialization capacity in predicting children’s behavioral difficulties. The study revealed a positive correlation between maternal punitive and minimizing emotion socialization reactions and children’s behavioral difficulties. However, this association was primarily observed in children with high negative emotionality and low effortful control. Notably, when children had low negative emotionality scores, maternal minimizing emotion socialization behaviors were negatively associated with their behavior problems. These findings support the idea that during stressful periods, such as a pandemic, the diathesis-stress model may become more applicable. It emphasizes the interaction between individuals’ vulnerabilities and environmental triggers leading to unfavorable outcomes, such as higher levels of children’s externalizing problems. These results underscore the importance of tailored intervention programs for parent-child dyads experiencing limited psychological resources during stressful events like a pandemic.

Role of father involvement and co-parenting relationship quality in social-emotional behaviors of children and adolescents in Pakistani cultural context. Research model moderated by father’s working hours

Role of father involvement and co-parenting relationship quality in social-emotional behaviors of children and adolescents in Pakistani cultural context. Research model moderated by father’s working hours

Mengembangkan Kemampuan Interaksi Sosial Dengan Kegiatan Renang Pada Anak Usia Dini

Social behavior skills need to be taught since children are still small. In children's social development, the interactions they have with the people around them will have a strong influence on the formation of children's social-emotional behavior. This research aims to find out how the implementation of swimming activities develops the social interaction skills of early childhood at Mutiara Bunda Kindergarten. The method the author uses is descriptive qualitative. The research subjects were group B children aged 5-6 years with social interaction objects. Data collection tools use observation, interviews and documentation. The results of the research show that children's social interaction abilities develop because children are active in swimming, moving, able to adapt, express themselves, interact with friends, thus supporting children's social interaction abilities to be good.

Effectiveness of a blended school-based mindfulness program for the prevention of co-rumination and internalizing problems in Dutch secondary school girls: a cluster randomized controlled trial

BackgroundA growing body of literature indicates that adolescent girls who talk with close friends about interpersonal problems or worries in an excessive, speculative way, and with an intense focus on distress (i.e., co-rumination) are at heightened risk for developing internalizing symptoms and disorders as well as reduced friendship quality. However, to date, there are no prevention programs available that target high levels of co-rumination between adolescent girls. As such, we developed the blended school-based mindfulness prevention program Happy Friends, Positive Minds (HFPM) that targets co-rumination at the dyadic level, i.e., between two close female friends. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of HFPM to reduce co-rumination and internalizing problems and to enhance wellbeing and social-emotional behavior in Dutch adolescent girls.MethodsA cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (cRCT) will be conducted to evaluate HFPM effectiveness. We will recruit 160 female friendship dyads (n = 320 girls) aged 13 to 15 years who will be characterized by high levels of self-reported co-rumination. The cRCT has two arms: (1) an intervention condition in which 160 girls (80 friendship dyads) will receive the 14-week HFPM program in two consecutive cohorts (cohort 1 in academic year 2023/2024 and cohort 2 in academic year 2024/2025, and (2) a control condition in which 160 girls (80 dyads) will receive care-as-usual (CAU) in two consecutive cohorts (cohort 1 in academic year 2023/2024 and cohort 2 in academic year 2024/2025). Data will be collected at baseline (T0), during the program (T1;T2; T3), immediately after the program (T4), and at 1-year follow-up (T5). Participant-level self-reported risk for (early onset) depression and anxiety, self-reported and observed co-rumination, self- and friend-reported friendship quality, self-reported positive and negative affect, self-reported interpersonal responses to positive affect, and self-reported anhedonia symptoms will be the outcome variables.DiscussionThis study will provide insights into the short-term and long-term effects of the HFPM program on girls’ internalizing problems, wellbeing, and social-emotional behavior.Trial registrationInternational Standard Randomized Controlled Trials, identifier: ISRCTN54246670. Registered on 27 February 2023.