Socioemotional Competence Research Articles

Fostering socio-emotional competencies in children on the autism spectrum using a parent-assisted serious game: A multicenter randomized controlled trial

ObjectiveSerious games are a promising means of fostering socio-emotional skills in children on the autism spectrum (AS). However, empathy and related constructs have not yet been addressed comprehensively and together with emotion recognition, and there is a lack of randomized controlled trials (RCT) to investigate skill maintenance and the transfer to functional behavior. MethodThe manualized, parent-assisted serious game Zirkus Empathico (ZE) was tested against an active control group, in a six-week multicenter RCT. Eighty-two children aged 5–10 years on the AS were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and three-month follow-up. Empathy and emotion recognition skills were defined as the primary outcomes. The secondary outcomes included measures of emotional awareness, emotion regulation, autism social symptomatology (Social Responsiveness Scale), and subjective therapy goals. ResultsTraining effects were observed after the intervention for empathy (d = 0.71) and emotion recognition (d = 0.50), but not at follow-up. Moderate effects on emotional awareness, emotion regulation, and autism social symptomatology were indicated by the short and mid-term assessments. Parents reported treatment goal attainment and positive training transfer. ConclusionWhile a six-week training with ZE failed to induce lasting changes in empathy and emotion recognition, it may be effective for improving emotional awareness and emotion regulation, and mitigate general autism symptomatology. Clinical trial registration informationZirkus Empathico – Promoting socioemotional competencies in 5- to 10-year-old children with autism spectrum conditions using a computer-based training program; https://www.drks.de/; DRKS-ID: DRKS00009337; Universal Trial Number (UTN): U1111-1175-5451.

Moderate low birth weight and socioemotional competence among children: The role of parenting factors in early childhood

BackgroundAlthough the importance of birth weight for socioemotional trajectories among children has become a topic of growing interest for researchers, the majority of prior studies were limited to the more extreme subgroups of low birth weight children. PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal associations among moderate low birth weight status, parenting factors, and socioemotional competence among at-risk children. This paper also examined the role of parenting factors as a moderator in the associations between birth weight and indicators of socioemotional competence at age 9. MethodsParticipants include a subsample (N = 1809) of families participating in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a national longitudinal birth cohort study. Birth weight and prenatal data were taken from medical records. Parenting factors were assessed during in-home assessments at ages 3 and 5. Teachers reported on externalizing behaviors and social skills at age 9. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the associations among study variables. ResultsOverall, results indicate that moderate low birth weight was significantly associated with lower levels of teacher-reported socioemotional competence at age 9 even after accounting for a large battery of control variables. Results also showed that maternal warmth, but not parenting stress, moderated the longitudinal association between birth weight and indicators of socioemotional competence. ConclusionFindings highlight the importance of birth weight and positive parenting processes in socioemotional outcomes among children. The implications of these findings are discussed for targeting positive parenting interventions and developmental outcomes for at-risk children.

Socio-Emotional Competence and Self-Efficacy of Future Secondary School Teachers

The assessment and development of teachers’ socio-emotional competence has become a topic of interest in education. Within the classroom, this competence is demonstrated not only in teaching but also in student development. The present study addressed the relationship between socio-emotional competence and self-efficacy, as perceived by prospective secondary-school teachers (n = 285) studying for a master’s degree in teacher training, and possible differences according to the socio-demographic characteristics of the sample. A descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional, survey-type method was followed. The instruments used were a previously validated socioemotional competence inventory, and an adapted version of the Teachers Self Efficacy Scale. The results showed an adequate level in most of the socio-emotional competencies studied and a high perception of self-efficacy, and both scales correlated positively. Higher levels of socioemotional competence were found in women and in teachers aged 40 to 50 with more teaching experience. The positive effect of experience in relation to self-efficacy being higher in women than in men was corroborated. We concluded that there is a need to develop the socio-emotional competence of trainee teachers to improve their teaching performance.

Social Networks, Emotions, and Education: Design and Validation of e-COM, a Scale of Socio-Emotional Interaction Competencies among Adolescents

Socio-emotional competencies play an essential role in personal development as they are associated with highly prosocial behavior and low aggressiveness. An individual who is online manages his/her emotions in a specific manner. Thus, it is highly relevant to analyze and evaluate online socio-emotional competencies. Until now, however, no instruments had been defined or developed for that purpose. This study’s objective was thus to design and validate a questionnaire for the evaluation of socio-emotional competencies in virtual contexts, and to analyze eventual differences according to gender and academic year. Using the model developed by Bisquerra and Pérez (2007) as a theoretical framework, the competencies posited therein were transferred to an online environment. The questionnaire was filled out by 888 adolescents ages 12 to 17 (48% males, M = 13.83 years old, DT = 1.27), all residents of Aragón, Spain. On the basis of their responses, structure analysis, validation, and reliability were carried out. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) yielded a five-dimensional structure with good fit and internal consistency. The five resulting dimensions evaluate (1) emotional e-conscience, (2) emotional e-autonomy, (3) emotional e-regulation, (4) e-self-control of impulsiveness, and (5) social e-competency. Differences among genders were observed in the categories of emotional e-conscience and social e-competency. Furthermore, the results of this study show that online emotional expression does not imply emotional competency. These results represent an advance in the field of emotional education.

Are emotional e-competencies a protective factor against habitual digital behaviors (media multitasking, cybergossip, phubbing) in Spanish students of secondary education?

Increased Internet use has introduced several behavior patterns into the daily routines of adolescents, such as phubbing, cybergossip, and media multitasking during homework. These habits can potentialize risks, particularly in post-pandemic situations. Socio-emotional competencies can act as protective factors against cybernetic risks; however, they have not yet been studied in relation with habitual digital behavior. To fill that gap, this study's objective is to analyze, across a sample of 776 students of secondary education (12–16 years old), to what extent socio-emotional competencies in digital interaction (“socio-emotional e-competencies”) are related to phubbing, cybergossip, and media multitasking during academic tasks, while being able to predict those behaviors in function of gender and age. We also propose to elicit whether those three behaviors can be regarded as indicators of habitual digital behavior in general. Our structural equation model results indicate that they act as a sole variable, which we denote as “habitual digital behavior”. On the other hand, emotional e-regulation and e-self-control of impulsiveness act as protective factors in adolescence, whereas emotional e-independence is crucial in girls and older students, and emotional e-awareness is important in boys. To close, we discuss the relevance of educating students in the matter of e-socio-economic competencies.

Profiles of family-based social experiences in the first 3 years predict early cognitive, behavioral, and socioemotional competencies.

This study utilized latent profile analyses to identify unique configurations of children's family-based social experiences during the first 3 years of life and examine differences across profiles with respect to developmental outcomes at 36 and 48 months of age. Seven family process variables were used: maternal emotional functioning, maternal sensitivity, negative controlling parenting, cognitive stimulation, corporal punishment, adult-adult aggression, and household disorganization. Data were collected by the Family Life Project (N = 1,087), a longitudinal study of families living in low-wealth, nonurban areas, for whom the biological mother was the child's primary caregiver from 6 to 36 months of age. On average, mothers were 26 years of age at 2 months of child age. Approximately 36% of the families lived below the federal poverty limit, and 41% identified as Black; 49% of children were female. Latent profile analyses identified four groups: (a) positive exposure (b) average exposure, (c) problematic adult functioning, and (d) problematic parenting . Comparisons indicate that children in the positive exposure profile had the highest levels of socioemotional and cognitive outcomes compared to overall profiles. Children in the problematic adult functioning and problematic parenting profiles had the most problematic child outcomes, with children in the problematic parenting profile scoring lowest overall. Results indicate that there is configural heterogeneity in family-based social experiences at the highest levels of risk and that exposures to problematic parenting may be more consequential for later child outcomes than exposures to problematic adult functioning in the absence of compromised caregiving. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Socio-emotional skills in publications in education in the last five years: a brief review

The concept of competence is composed of our rational and emotional actions influenced by sociocultural factors. Competence combined with the control of emotions in social situations facilitates the resolution of conflicts. The objective of this work was to make a bibliographic review on emotional competencies in education present in publications in the last five years. The method used was a brief literature review on socio-emotional competencies in publications on education between 2017 and 2021, in Portuguese, in Google Scholar search databases. It is necessary to identify which competencies are needed and which can be developed in the school environment. Educational policies seem to require the inclusion of socio-emotional competencies in basic education curricula, but there is a lack of training of teachers. The restructuring of curricula should also cover daily teaching situations that were possible to be carried out, from the reorganization of pedagogical spaces, aligned with teaching strategies based on competencies. The modernization of curricula with the inclusion of socio-emotional competencies provides students with integral (omnilateral) training. In Professional and Technological Education (EPT)[6] technical-professional knowledge should be beyond content training, preparing students to face real situations of the future profession. Adultlife, and life at work, requires behaviors and knowledge that the student will use in his social and professional practice, outside the school environment.

Strategies to assess and promote the socio-emotional competencies of university students in the socio-educational and health fields: A scoping review protocol

Scientific literature highlights the benefits of promoting the socio-emotional competencies (SEC) of university students in the socio-educational and health fields. These competencies can improve both the personal well-being of the professionals, as well as their job success in providing effective service to end users. We have planned a scoping review that aims to identify the main characteristics and results of the strategies that have been used to date to assess and promote university students' SEC in these fields. We will search for studies on SEC measures, interventions and correlates in four bibliographic databases and grey literature sources. This scoping review can yield valuable insights for the design, implementation, and evaluation of new strategies to promote SEC in university education.

Competências Socioemocionais nas Organizações e no Trabalho: Conceitos e Instrumentos em Estudos Brasileiros e Internacionais

Abstract Organizations have shown an interest in socio-emotional competencies due to the current knowledge that they are as important as technical competencies for the best personal and professional development. However, there is no consensus in the literature regarding the conceptual definition of these competencies. Accordingly, this narrative review aimed at characterizing the concept of socio-emotional competencies and the instruments used in Brazilian and international studies in the context of organizations and work. The Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Biblioteca Brasileira de Teses e Dissertações databases were consulted, resulting in 26 articles composing the sample. The results show that there is a myriad of concepts about socio-emotional competencies, and that the instruments used evaluate mainly emotional intelligence, personality and other more consolidated constructs in the literature. The impacts of the multiple possibilities of conceptualizing and measuring socio-emotional competences are discussed.

Como a tomada de perspetiva está subjacente ao pensamento criativo e à competência sócio-emocional na formação em pedagogia dramática

Abstract Policy-makers and scholars agree that creativity and socio-emotional competencies can be taught, learned, and enhanced through creative arts like theatre. Nevertheless, few authors have studied the processes underlying both constructs in artistic education, which would permit to understand how children develop them and re-create adapted methodologies. Thus, we proposed to observe a drama pedagogy training for elementary school children, evaluating their creative thinking and theory-of-mind. To understand perspective-thinking as a process underlying creative thinking and theory-of-mind in the context of drama pedagogy training. Quasi-experimental pre-post-test design. Standardized tests analysis, plus thematic analysis from observation of 240 minutes recording of drama pedagogy training. Higher increase in creative thinking with a strong effect of drama pedagogy training on divergent thinking. Thematic analyses showed that drama pedagogy training activities focus mainly on socio-emotional competency (linked to theory-of-mind). Perspective-taking appears as an underlying process that explains both creative thinking and the development of socio-emotional competencies by permitting the child to see from another person’s perspective, providing several ideas-solutions for a problem (creative thinking), as well as understanding other people’s emotions and motivations (theory-of-mind).

МОДЕЛЬ ПСИХИЧЕСКОГО И СОЦИАЛЬНО-ЭМОЦИОНАЛЬНАЯ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТЬ ДЕТЕЙ МЛАДШЕГО ШКОЛЬНОГО ВОЗРАСТА (ПО ОЦЕНКАМ РОДИТЕЛЕЙ И ПЕДАГОГОВ)

The paper deals with the role of theory of mind in the development of socio-emotional competence in children of primary school age. The purpose was to study the role of theory of mind in the socio-emotional competence of children aged 7–9 as assessed by parents and teachers. To assess the level of children’s social and emotional competence, teachers and parents have developed a questionnaire aimed at assessing: the recognition and understanding of emotions; the understanding of the mental states of other people and the possibility of using them to predict behavior; the understanding of deception, false beliefs, and misunderstandings in social situations; empathy, pro-social behavior, the understanding of moral and ethical norms and rules; the development of social and communication skills. The development of theory of mind was assessed using the «Reading the Mind in the Eyes» test and the «Faux Pas Recognition Test». The study involved 49 children aged 7–9 (21 girls). When assessing the socio-emotional competence of primary school children, adults mainly rely on social understanding skills such as recognizing emotions and expressing empathy. The results of the study demonstrate differences in the assessments of socio-emotional competence depending on the children’s performance in tests for theory of mind. Significant relationships were found between the children’s recognition of mental states by eye expressions and adults’ assessments. Interestingly, no significant correlations were found between understanding of false beliefs and teachers’ assessments of socio-emotional competence, in contrast to the parents’ assessments. Interpretation of the results suggests a possible difference in the observation of children’s behavior among peers (by teachers) and among adults and siblings (by parents).

Podrška roditelja i vaspitača u razvoju socioemocionalnih vještina kod djece

From birth to school is a period in which the child needs help and support in acquiring socio-emotional competencies in the relationships of all members of the community, because in that period the preconditions are created for the successful functioning of the child in the social and emotional context. Important support for the child in shaping and creating possible situations where socio-emotional relationships are established and these relationships are imposed as an unavoidable factor in the process of socialization and the establishment of emotional stability and security, are the family and the educational institutions. The paper will discuss the quality and the need for support from parents and preschool institutions, in a manner to encourage, realize and develop children's socio-emotional competencies as an integral part of the preschool curriculum, the challenges and perceptions of children's parents, communication between parents and kindergarten teachers, information to the parents about the work of the kindergarten, the participation of parents in parent meetings and the participation of parents in daily activities in the kindergarten.

Mothers’ Socialization of Emotions and Socio-Emotional Competences in Children with and without Intellectual Disabilities in Belgium and Quebec

This study aims first to compare Belgian and Quebec mothers’ emotion- related reactions toward typically developing (TD) children and children with intellectual disabilities (ID) and examine whether these practices vary depending on individual factors and culture. Second, it investigates to which extent these maternal reactions contribute to Theory of Mind (ToM), emotion regulation and social skills in these children. The participants were 72 children with and without ID matched on developmental age and their mothers from Belgium and Quebec. Mothers completed questionnaires on their reactions to emotions felt by their children’s and on the children’s socio-emotional abilities. One-way MANCOVAs indicated effects only for ID samples of culture, considering maternal educational level as a covariate, on maternal unsupportive reactions to negative emotions and, specifically, on unsupportive (punition and minimization) and supportive (problem-focused, comforting and encouragement) reactions to negative emotions. Correlational and stepwise regression analyses showed that individual factors, such as developmental age, ID factor in children, mothers’ educational level and culture explained a percentage of the variance in mothers’ reactions to positive or negative emotions in children. Moreover, individual factors and mothers’ reactions to positive or negative emotions in children explained a percentage of the variance in children’s ToM abilities, emotion regulation and social skills. Findings highlighted the importance of considering cultural and educational factors as well as individual characteristics to understand how ToM, emotion regulation and social adjustment in children with and without ID are influenced by these factors in addition to parents’ reactions to emotions. It provides useful information for assisting parents in supporting their child’s socio-emotional abilities.

СОЦИАЛЬНО-ЭМОЦИОНАЛЬНАЯ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТЬ СТАРШИХ ПОДРОСТКОВ: СРАВНЕНИЕ САМООТЧЕТА И ВНЕШНЕЙ ОЦЕНКИ

Effective assessment of the social and emotional competence of children and adolescents is important for studying individual and age differences, as well as for preventing behavioral and emotional difficulties and developing assistance measures. Different types of assessment (self-report and external assessment by teachers, parents, peers) provide important information about social and emotional development, but they do not always show concordance since each informant has his own experience of observing certain characteristics of children. In this study, we examine the socio-emotional competence of older adolescents through emotional intelligence, measured by the self-report method, and external assessment of various forms of social behavior by school teachers. Particular attention is given to the question of correspondence between the assessments of students and teachers. The study involved 42 teenagers aged 14-16 and their class teachers. The adolescents filled out the EmIn questionnaire aimed at assessing the respondents’ perceptions of their emotional intelligence. The teachers filled out a questionnaire that included an assessment of five different aspects of social and emotional development: understanding of emotions and the ability to predict behavior based on that, understanding of social situations, empathy, prosocial behavior, communication skills, etc. The analysis of the data showed low concordance between the assessments given by adolescents and teachers. Correlation was found only in the assessment of the aspect of understanding emotions. At the same time, the analysis of assessments given in two different classes (and, accordingly, by different teachers) revealed significant differences. This highlights the importance of quality of external evaluation and selection of experts to conduct research. The results raise new research questions and indicate the need for further search for external criteria of socio-emotional competence in adolescence and for selection of adequate assessment methods.

Measuring the Influence of Socio-Emotional Learning Curriculum on Children’s Development in Kindergartens

The study contributes to the ongoing debate regarding the significance of the socio-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum and its significance concerning the development of children’s socio-emotional; competencies. To address this gap in the literature, a quantitative study into the influence of socio-emotional learning curriculum on children’s development in kindergarten classrooms was explored. The study was guided by four (4) hypotheses namely; Hypothesis one (1): There is no statistical difference in the pre-test social skills of the participants based on age, Hypothesis two (2): There is no statistical difference in the post-test social skills of the participants based on age, Hypothesis three (3): There is no statistically significant difference in the pre-test social skills of the participants based on gender, Hypothesis four (4): There is no statistical difference in the post-test social skills of the participants based on gender. The study’s findings revealed that the intervention was robust because it enhanced and promoted the socio-emotional competencies of the participants. It was recommended that future research works on this issue should explore another socio-cultural context to determine whether similar or divergent findings would be established. This electronic document is a “live” template. The various components of your paper [title, text, heads, etc.] are already defined on the style sheet, as illustrated by the portions given in this document.

Developing a Structural Model of the Relationship between Cognitive Style and Emotional Creativity with the Mediating Role of Emotional-Social Competence of Adolescent Girls

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the fit of the structural model of deterministic thinking and cognitive style and students' emotional creativity with the mediating role of creativity self-efficacy and emotional-social competence. Methods: The present research method was descriptive and the correlation research design was structural equation model. The statistical population of this study was all 11th grade female students in the second year of high school in the academic year of 2018-19 in Tehran, from which 460 people were selected by cluster random sampling. 5 districts were randomly selected from the districts of Tehran. Data were collected using the April (1999) Emotional Creativity Questionnaire, and Social Emotional Competence Questionnaire Zhu and Ji (2012) were collected. Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation model and SPSS.22 and AMOS.22 software were used to analyze the research data. Significance level in this study was considered 0.05. Results: The results showed that the path coefficient between social emotional competency and emotional creativity (β=0.55, p<0.001) was positive and significant, and the results showed that social-emotional competency mediated the relationship between cognitive style and emotional creativity (β=0.22, p<0.001). Conclusion: Socio-emotional competency plays a mediating role in the relationship between cognitive styles and emotional creativity. The results of this study can be useful for specialists in the fields of psychology, education and education department.

Designing a questionnaire of socio-emotional competence of a personality (QSECP)

Designing a questionnaire of socio-emotional competence of a personality (QSECP)

Mother-Child Relationships in U.S. Latinx Families in Middle Childhood: Opportunities and Challenges in the 21st Century.

The 21st century has brought unique opportunities and challenges for parents, and this is particularly true for Latinx families, whose children comprise more than one-fourth of the school-age population in the U.S. today. Taking an ecological and strengths-based approach, the current study examined the role of mothers’ cultural assets (familism values, family cohesion) and challenges (economic hardship, ethnic–race-based discrimination) on children’s educational adjustment in middle childhood, as well as the indirect role of mother–child warmth and conflict in these associations. The sample included 173 Latinx mothers and their middle childhood offspring (i.e., 5th graders and younger sisters/brothers in the 1st through 4th grade). Mothers participated in home visits and phone interviews and teachers provided ratings of children’s educational adjustment (academic and socioemotional competence, aggressive/oppositional behaviors). Findings revealed family cohesion was indirectly linked to children’s educational adjustment via mother–child warmth and conflict, particularly for younger siblings. Discussion focuses on the culturally based strengths of Latinx families and highlights potential implications for family-based prevention in middle childhood.

Supplemental Material for Profiles of Family-Based Social Experiences in the First 3 Years Predict Early Cognitive, Behavioral, and Socioemotional Competencies

Supplemental Material for Profiles of Family-Based Social Experiences in the First 3 Years Predict Early Cognitive, Behavioral, and Socioemotional Competencies

Socioemotional competences in adults offenders and non-offenders and their relationship with coping

Las competencias socioemocionales comprenden conocimientos, habilidades y actitudes necesarias para percibir, expresar y regular adecuadamente los fenómenos emocionales. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar las competencias socioemocionales en adultos infractores penales y no infractores, y evaluar la existencia de asociaciones significativas con las respuestas de afrontamiento implementadas ante eventos estresantes. Participaron 97 adultos hombres infractores penales, detenidos en Unidades Penitenciarias de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, y 97 hombres sin antecedentes penales. Los resultados obtenidos muestran diferencias significativas en el perfil de competencias socioemocionales entre infractores y no infractores, con menor desarrollo de las competencias de empatía, regulación emocional, expresión emocional, conciencia emocional y autoeficacia, en los infractores. Asimismo, se obtuvieron correlaciones positivas entre distintas competencias socioemocionales y respuestas de afrontamiento por aproximación al problema, y correlaciones negativas con respuestas de evitación. Los resultados tienen importantes implicaciones prácticas para el diseño de programas de prevención y tratamiento de la delincuencia.