Socioemotional Competence Research Articles

The contributions of motor skill proficiency to cognitive and social development in early childhood.

With limited evidence from intervention studies, causal relationships between motor competence and cognitive and social development have yet to be clearly established. In this research, we investigated whether a targeted training programme to improve fundamental movement skills (i.e., object control, locomotor) in young children would also lead to improvements in the cognitive (i.e., executive function) and social (i.e., socioemotional competence) domains. Using a two-arm group randomised intervention design, 185 children aged 36 to 60 months (mean 47.51, SD 8.11 months) were allocated to a motor skill intervention group or an active control group. The intervention was implemented over one school year, and outcomes were monitored across five time points. Longitudinal analysis was performed using hierarchical linear mixed-effects and latent growth curve models. Participation in the motor skill intervention led to higher rates of development of object control skills (p < 0.001) and executive function (p < 0.001). A dose‒response relationship was found in which those children who displayed greater development of object control skills over time also displayed greater development of executive function (p = 0.001). We found no significant effects of the intervention on locomotor skills, social behaviours, or socioemotional competence. These findings provide evidence of a causal relationship between motor and cognitive development.

Socio-Emotional Disposition’s Mediation in Technical Skills and Graduate Employability in Tourism and Hospitality Industry—South-Western Uganda

Despite possessing technical skills, many hospitality graduates in Southwestern Uganda struggle to secure employment. This suggests a possible deficiency in their socio-emotional abilities. The study investigated the mediating effect of socio-emotional disposition in the relationship between technical skills and graduate employability. The research design employed in this study was the cross-sectional quantitative research method with a population of 640 graduates and a sample size of 400 was established for hospitality graduates based on Krejcie, &amp; Morgan’s (1970) table and formula. The data was collected employing questionnaires and the data analysis was done by SPSS V. 23 and Smart PLS V 4. The results revealed that the technical skills and socio-emotional disposition of graduates have significant direct effects on the graduates’ employability, with path coefficients of (β = 0.348, p &lt; 0.001) for technical skills and (β = 0.716, p&lt; 0.001) for socio-emotional disposition. Sensitively, socio-emotional disposition was also reported to mediate the link between technical skill and employability (β = 0.438, p&lt;0.001). Thus, socio-emotional disposition increases the level of readiness for employment. The study indicates technical competencies are mandatory prerequisites to getting a job in the hospitality industry; socio-emotional competencies enhance these results. The study recommended that carrying out tracer studies and skills audits, mentorship schemes, certification of future graduates, creating a strong linkage between higher educational institutions (HEIs) and the hospitality sector, and authorities should take into account the programs that encourage socio-emotional enhancement appropriate to the needs of the sector

The Impact of Peer Effects on the Socio-emotional Competence of Chinese Boarders and Gender-Based Differences

The Impact of Peer Effects on the Socio-emotional Competence of Chinese Boarders and Gender-Based Differences

Strategical Pedagogy for the Development of Socio-Emotional Competences in Nursing Students.

Socio-emotional competencies (SECs) are essential for the quality of nursing practice. This study aimed to understand the pedagogical strategies provided by universities for the development of SECs in Brazil, as perceived by nursing students. This is a descriptive, exploratory study with a qualitative approach involving 57 nursing students from a public Higher Education Institution in Brazil. Data collection was conducted through focus groups, and interpretation was carried out using inductive thematic analysis. The pedagogical strategies identified were categorized as follows: those offered by the curriculum matrix, those provided by the Nursing course department, those made available by the university as a whole (involving all courses and students), and the challenges related to the development of socio-emotional competencies. This study revealed a deficit in the integration of SECs in the curriculum, highlighting the need for curricular restructuring and discussions on this topic. Equipping students with socio-emotional competencies during their training can help address these gaps, fostering greater resilience and self-care capabilities among nursing professionals.

Theory of education and pedeutology in psychological approach - the perspective of personality and socio-emotional competences of the teacher and their importance in the educational process

This article presents considerations on the significance of a teacher's personality in the educational process. The starting point was reflections on the special role of the modern teacher, and then - against the background of assumptions specific to the psychological orientation in the theory of education - the basic assumptions of classical pedeutological concepts of a teacher (J. Mirski, S. Szuman, Z. Mysłakowski, B. Nawroczyński, J. W. Dawid, M. Kreutz and S. Baley) were discussed. Particular attention was paid to the numerous references to the desired personality traits of a teacher and to the expectations formulated towards him regarding his broadly understood ability to establish positive relationships with students. Then, the results of these reflections were compared with the Big Five personality traits in terms of the Five-Factor Theory of Personality and with socio-emotional competences as a group of key competences from the perspective of building both intra- and interpersonal potential of a teacher.

Construction, evidence of validity and reliability of a Teacher Socioemotional Competencies Scale - ECSED

Social-emotional competencies are complex actions that include skills, knowledge and attitudes to maintain effective and satisfactory social interactions. As well as, managing one's own and other people's emotions in different environments. They are vital for healthy coexistence in higher education. The purpose of this research was to establish the evidence of validity and reliability for the scale of socioemotional competencies of university teachers. Scale constructed under the pentagonal model approach of Bizquerra and Pérez (2007). The study is cross-sectional and instrumental. A non-probabilistic convenience sample of 237 teachers from public and private universities in Lima (Peru), from different professional careers, aged between 24 and 70 years, male and female, was used. Satisfactory evidence of content-based validity was found for the criteria of clarity, pertinence, and relevance for each of the items using Aiken's V technique. For validity based on the internal structure of the construct, a Penta dimensional model and a bi-factor model were contrasted by confirmatory factor analysis, with better fit values for the second model (CFI and TLI &gt; 0.95, RMSEA and SRMR &lt; 0.07, = ω h = 0.90, ECV and PUC &gt; 0.95), and favorable evidence of convergent and discriminant validity was also found. For both the overall score and the scores for each factor, there were coefficients denoting high reliability (ordinal α and ω &gt; 0.90).

Perceptions and impacts of the Happy Program on socio-emotional competencies: a mixed-methods study in primary education

Introduction: The "Happy Program" implemented by AMCO across various schools in Latin America has been the subject of a mixed-methods study assessing its impact on the socio-emotional competencies of primary school students. The study focuses on the perceptions of both teachers and students, integrating quantitative and qualitative techniques for a comprehensive evaluation. Methods: Mixed-methods design to thoroughly assess the impacts of the Happy Program on socio-emotional competencies among primary school students. This design incorporates both quantitative and qualitative approaches to provide a multi-dimensional understanding of the program’s effects. Teacher’s study, this segment involves a survey distributed to 57 teachers, designed to capture their perceptions before and after the implementation of the Happy Program. The survey measures changes in their views on students' socio-emotional skills and the overall classroom environment. Teachers are asked to rate the program’s influence on student behavior and emotional management, and to comment on areas for improvement, such as activity variety and family engagement. Parallel to the teacher survey, a larger scale study surveys 1,526 students. This study aims to gather direct feedback from the students about their experiences with the Happy Program. Students respond to questions about their emotional understanding, how they manage emotions, and their interactions with peers and family members as influenced by the program. This data is crucial for measuring the perceived effectiveness of the program from the students’ perspective. Findings/Results: Teachers reported a generally positive impact of the program on students, noting enhancements in key skills such as self-regulation and empathy. However, they also identified areas for improvement, such as activity diversification and greater family engagement. The results detail an increase in emotional understanding and management skills among students, with 76% of teachers observing significant improvements in these areas following the program's implementation.

How do personal resources and homeroom teacher job demands influence teachers’ professional identity? A perspective based on the job demands‐resources model

AbstractProfessional identity is essential for a qualified teacher; however, the imbalance between job resources and demands is a serious impediment to promoting teachers’ professional identity. Given that personal job resources (i.e., teachers’ socioemotional competence and psychological capital) and challenging job demands (homeroom/non‐homeroom teachers) are distinctive—but understudied—job characteristics, this study examines their role in fostering teachers’ professional identity, based on the Job Demands‐Resources (JD‐R) model. Data from 432 secondary school teachers in Henan Province, China were collected using the Chinese versions of the Teacher Socioemotional Competence Scale, Psychological Capital Scale, and Teacher Professional Identity Scale. The results showed that teachers’ socioemotional competence positively predicted their professional identity. The moderating mediator analysis showed that the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating role of being a homeroom or non‐homeroom teacher contributed immensely to teachers’ professional identity. The identification of this moderated mediation model broadens our understanding of the JD‐R model by demonstrating the interplay between personal job resources and challenging job demands. This study also emphasizes the imperative for optimizing the balance between “demands” and “resources” to enhance teachers’ professional identity, and proposes effective interventions.

Mentalization-based interventions in schools for enhancing socio-emotional competencies and positive behaviour: a systematic review.

Mentalization-based interventions (MBIs) have been increasingly applied in school settings to support the social-emotional development and mental health of children and adolescents. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the evidence on the effectiveness of MBIs implemented in educational contexts for students aged 6-18 years. A comprehensive search was conducted in PsychInfo, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and ERIC databases from inception to October 2023. The search strategy combined terms related to mentalization, school-based interventions, and the target age group. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022302757). Inclusion criteria included peer-reviewed publications in English, studies published between 1980 and 2023, interventions based on mentalization principles, and a primary focus on children aged 6 to 18 years. Exclusion criteria involved non-mentalization based interventions and research outside the 6-18 age range. The risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tools from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data were synthesized narratively due to the heterogeneity of study designs and outcomes. Of the 5,250 articles screened, 21 studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising over 7,500 participants. The reviewed interventions targeted various aspects of mentalizing, such as emotion-understanding, empathy, perspective-taking, and Theory of Mind. Significant improvements were found in social-cognitive abilities, emotion regulation, and mental health outcomes, including reductions in disruptive behaviours. Interventions that combined mentalizing training for both students and teachers showed promising results. However, the long-term sustainability of these benefits remains unclear. Limitations of the reviewed studies include the lack of control groups, small sample sizes, and variations in outcome measures. The findings highlight the potential of MBIs as a promising approach to fostering socio-emotional competence, positive behaviour, and well-being in school-aged children. Future research should aim to establish the active components and optimal delivery of these interventions through well-designed randomized controlled trials with larger, more diverse samples and extended follow-up periods. The integration of MBIs within educational systems holds promise for promoting resilience and positive mental health outcomes in young people. Embedding MBIs within school curriculums and evaluating cost-effectiveness are important next steps to guide widespread implementation.

Associations between Adherence to 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and Socio-Emotional Competence among Preschool Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study investigated the association between adherence to 24-h movement guidelines and socioemotional competence among Chinese preschool children. A total of 1288 parents of Chinese preschoolers (54.64% boys, 45.36% girls; Mage=4.48, SD=0.97) reported the time their children spent on physical activity (PA), screen time (ST), and sleep duration (SD), and completed questionnaires measuring socioemotional competence. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to explore the associations between individual and combined measures of PA, ST, and SD, and the risk of low socioemotional competence. The risk of low socioemotional competence was significantly lower for children aged 4 (odds ratio [OR]=0.47, 95% CI: 0.31-0.71), 5 (OR=0.23, 95% CI: 0.15-0.35), and 6 (OR=0.16, 95% CI: 0.10-0.25) compared to 3-year-olds. Children with a family income level higher than 20,000CNY had a significantly lower risk of low socioemotional competence than those with a family income level not higher than 3000CNY (OR=0.21, 95% CI: 0.08-0.59). Urban residency was associated with significantly lower odds of low socioemotional competence than rural residency (OR=0.41, 95% CI: 0.21-0.82). Adherence to the PA-only guidelines (OR=0.45, 95% CI: 0.22-0.94), SD-only guidelines (OR=0.25, 95% CI: 0.08-0.72), ST+SD guidelines (OR=0.33, 95% CI: 0.16-0.67), and PA+ST+SD guidelines (OR=0.36, 95% CI: 0.18-0.70) were associated with a lower risk of low socioemotional competence. In addition, among boys, only adherence to the PA+ST+SD guidelines (OR=0.36, 95% CI: 0.14-0.90) was associated with a lower risk of low socioemotional competence. Among girls, adherence to SD guidelines only (OR=0.22, 95% CI: 0.04-0.90), ST+SD guidelines (OR=0.17, 95% CI: 0.06-0.49), and PA+ST+SD guidelines (OR=0.37, 95% CI: 0.14-0.91) were all associated with a lower risk of low socioemotional competence. Adhering to 24-h movement guidelines is crucial for enhancing socioemotional competence in preschool children, especially girls. Interventions should focus on promoting physical activity, reducing screen time, and ensuring adequate sleep.

Social impact of emotional education in the development of socioemotional competences of university teachers

The implementation of emotional education in the university setting holds significant importance within the contemporary educational landscape, as its knowledge and application have shown significant social impacts. Training in socio-emotional skills goes beyond the personal sphere of the teacher and has a positive effect on academic and social contexts. This is evidenced by the strengthening of team cohesion, the promotion of innovation, and the improvement of educational outcomes. There is a highlighted need to implement strategies to eliminate barriers in socio-emotional development, which underscores the urgency of institutional changes and collaboration to address emotional gaps. This study aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting the importance of enhancing the socio-emotional competencies of the teaching staff. The goal is to promote inclusive and equitable learning environments, in pursuit of contributing to well-being, equality, and social sustainability.

Emotional expressivity and self-regulation as indicators of social emotions in older preschool children: Evaluating the effectiveness of development

Introduction. The article presents a theoretical analysis of the main ideas on the problem of social emotions and social competence in the context of the development of self-regulation and interaction skills, as well as the role of parents in this process. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the effectiveness of the development of certain indicators of social emotions in older preschool children, such as emotional expressivity and self–regulation, using an innovative method of reflective conversation. Materials and Methods. A narrative approach was used as a methodological basis of the study. The main research methods comprise the analysis of scholarly literature devoted to the problem of the development of social emotions in older preschool children; as well as evaluation methods, including observation (V. M. Kholmogorova and E. O. Smirnova’s ‘Primary orientation in children s’ relationships’), testing (R. M. Chumicheva’s inventory for determining the ability of a 3-7-year-old child to assess mental states of another person), situation analysis, the method of reflexive conversation, as well as methods of statistical data processing (criterion φ – Fisher angular transformation). 68 preschoolers participated in the study. Results. The authors substantiate that the study of emotional expression and regulation of emotions of older preschool children is significant for understanding and choosing techniques for developing appropriate interactive skills. The relationship between the socio-emotional competence of older preschool children and reflective conversation has been determined. It has been proven that children’s ability to regulate their own emotions contributes to increasing their overall social competence. As a result of comparing the data of primary and secondary assessment of the experimental and control groups according to the indicators established: assessment of the mental states of another person, initiative, sensitivity to peer influences and the prevailing emotional background, significant differences were revealed. Conclusions. The experimental study of the influence of reflexive conversation on the development of social emotions and skills of emotional self-regulation allowed us to establish a causal relationship between indicators of socio-emotional competence and the constructive algorithm for conducting reflexive conversation. The study concludes that reflective conversations contribute to the development of emotional expressivity and self-regulation as indicators of social emotions in older preschool children.

Harsh parenting trajectories from childhood through adolescence and socioemotional competences at age 18: 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study

BackgroundLimited research has explored the course of harsh parenting practices throughout childhood and adolescence and its impact on socioemotional competences from a longitudinal perspective. This study examined the association between harsh parenting trajectories and socioemotional competences at age 18. MethodsData from the 2004 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort study, originally comprising 4231 live births, were used. Harsh parenting was measured using the parent-report version of the Parent–Child Conflict Tactics Scale at ages 6, 11, 15 and 17 years, and trajectories were identified using a group-based modelling approach. Socioemotional competences were emotion regulation, assessed by the Emotional Regulation Index for Children and Adolescents; self-esteem, measured by the self-report Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale; prosocial behaviour and peer relationship problems, both assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multivariate linear and Poisson regression models were applied to examine the effects of harsh parenting trajectories on socioemotional competences, adjusting for confounding variables. ResultsWe identified three trajectories: a “low harsh parenting” trajectory (49.7 %), a “moderate harsh parenting” (44.7 %), and a “high harsh parenting” trajectory (5.6 %). Compared to those belonging to the low harsh parenting trajectory group, adolescents who experienced either a moderate or high harsh parenting trajectory exhibited lower scores in emotion regulation, self-esteem, and prosocial behaviour scales, along with higher scores of peer relationships problems. LimitationsData on harsh parenting at 15 and 17 years were available only for a sub-sample. ConclusionsOur study extends the evidence of the adverse effects of persistent harsh parenting on socioemotional competences during adolescence.

Empathy and Socio-Emotional Competencies: The Perception of Portuguese Adolescents in Today’s Changing Environment

According to the literature, recent world events seem to play a significant influence in the acquisition and upgrowth of empathy and socio-emotional competencies (SEC), especially in adolescents. In this study we sought to assess the level of socio-emotional competencies and interpersonal reactivity of Portuguese adolescents in today’s context and analyze differences due to sex, relationship status, residence, and educational level on the dimensions of inter-personal reactivity and socio-emotional competencies. Participants were 230 adolescents of both sexes, living in Portugal, with ages between 16 and 18 years old, mostly female, with a secondary educational level, living in an urban area, and not in a relationship. An online questionnaire was applied using the Social and Emotional Competencies (SEC-Q) scale and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). The results were that adolescents had an above-average global interpersonal reactivity, with empathic concern and perspective-taking presenting the higher values. Adolescents showed a medium-high average level of SEC, with the highest domains being self-awareness, social awareness, and pro-social behavior. Girls showed significantly more interpersonal reactivity in empathic concern, personal distress, and fantasy, and boys presented more self-awareness. As for the relationship status, adolescents not in a relationship manifested more personal distress, while those in a relationship presented higher values in all dimensions of SEC. Neither residence, nor educational level, presented significant main effects. These results can contribute to thinking about youth protection policies and designing more appropriate interventions to promote well-being in this crucial period of life, especially in times of change.

Early Childhood Screen Use Contexts and Cognitive and Psychosocial Outcomes

The multifaceted nature of screen use has been largely overlooked in favor of a simplistic unidimensional measure of overall screen time when evaluating the benefits and risks of screen use to early childhood development. To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine associations of screen use contexts in early childhood with cognitive and psychosocial outcomes. PsycINFO, Embase, MEDLINE Ovid, ProQuest, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched from inception to December 31, 2023. A total of 7441 studies were initially identified. Studies were included if they examined associations between a contextual factor of screen use among children aged 0 to 5.99 years and cognitive or psychosocial development. Observational, experimental, and randomized clinical trial study designs were included. All studies were independently screened in duplicate following PRISMA guidelines. Effect sizes of associations (r) from observational studies were pooled using random-effects 3-level meta-analyses. The remaining study designs were narratively synthesized. Screen use contexts included content (child directed and age inappropriate), type (program viewing and game or app use), co-use (or solo use), background television, caregiver screen use during child routines, and purpose. Outcomes were cognitive (executive functioning, language, and academic skills) or psychosocial (internalizing and externalizing behavior problems and socioemotional competence). Overall, 100 studies (176 742 participants) were included, and of these, 64 observational studies (pooled sample sizes ranging from 711 to 69 232) were included in meta-analyses. Program viewing (n = 14; k = 48; r, -0.16; 95% CI, -0.24 to -0.08) and background television (n = 8; k = 18; r, -0.10; 95% CI, -0.18 to -0.02) were negatively associated with cognitive outcomes, while program viewing (n = 6; k = 31; r, -0.04; 95% CI, -0.07 to -0.01), age-inappropriate content (n = 9; k = 36; r, -0.11; 95% CI, -0.17 to -0.04), and caregiver screen use during routines (n = 6; k = 14; r, -0.11; 95% CI, -0.20 to -0.03) were negatively associated with psychosocial outcomes. Co-use was positively associated with cognitive outcomes (n = 8; k = 28; r, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.25). Findings show small to moderate effect sizes that highlight the need to consider screen use contexts when making recommendations for families, clinicians, and educators beyond screen time limits; including encouraging intentional and productive screen use, age-appropriate content, and co-use with caregivers.

Models for evaluating socio-emotional competencies in the educational field.

Models for evaluating socio-emotional competencies in the educational field.

The Family and Socio-Emotional Competences at the Primary Stage of Education

The Family and Socio-Emotional Competences at the Primary Stage of Education

RETRACTION NOTICE: Relationship between quality of life and socio-emotional competencies

RETRACTION NOTICE: Relationship between quality of life and socio-emotional competencies

Social desirability, social-emotional competencies and intelligence: Using quadruplets to estimate evaluative and descriptive content

This study investigated the application of item quadruplets to control social desirability in measuring socio-emotional competencies and their relationship with intelligence. Quadruplets involve four variations of an item, differing in the polarity of their descriptive content and evaluative content (social desirability): positive-desirable, negative-desirable, positive-undesirable, and negative-undesirable. The sample consisted of 431 individuals aged 18-67, predominantly female (71.1%). To control social desirability, items were manipulated in quadruplets. The results indicated a superior model fit when a general social desirability factor was estimated, with factor loadings reinforcing the presence of a general evaluative content factor. Additionally, controlling for this general factor led to more interpretable and enhanced loadings for the descriptive factors, affirming the hypothesis that controlling a general evaluative factor improves the theoretical congruence. The study also found negative correlations between intelligence and both social desirability and extroversion. The findings support the effectiveness of the quadruplets method in assessing social desirability.

Pengaruh konformitas positif terhadap kompetensi sosio-emosional yang dimediasi oleh self-efficacy pada santri remaja

Socio-emotional competence in adolescence is needed in socio-emotional development where individuals are able to manage emotions and interact with others and develop healthy relationships. Positive conformity behavior is used as a cognitive strategy to adjust to peer groups so that deviant behavior can be avoided. In order for positive conformity to develop properly, self-efficacy is needed as a mediator to increase socio-emotional competence. The purpose of this study was to examine self-efficacy as a mediator between positive conformity and socio-emotional competence. This research method uses a quantitative approach using population quotas. The subjects in this study were all 197 students of SMP YPUI Darul Ulum Banda Aceh City. The instruments used were the Delaware Social Emotional Competence Scale-Student (DSECS-S), the Peer Conformity Disposition Scale (PCDS), and the General Self Efficacy Scale (GSES). Data analysis was performed using the Process Macro Analysis Hayes mediation analysis technique. The results of the study show that there is a significant effect of positive conformity on socio-emotional competence. With the role of self-efficacy as a mediator, positive conformity can indirectly increase the socio-emotional competence of young students at Islamic boarding schools.