Learning Outcomes and the Contributions of Executive Functions, Socioemotional Skills, and Stress in a Preschool Sample

• In Event: Influences on Early Literacy Development: Interactions Among Environment, Pedagogy, and Socioemotional Factors

Abstract

Learning outcomes during preschool are predicted by socioemotional skills and executive functions, the latter being negatively affected by high levels of cortisol during early childhood. However, most evidence looking at those associations comes from Western urban samples. Thus, we examined a sample of Chilean prekindergarten and kindergarten children attending an urban-rural charter school to explore whether learning outcomes were predicted by cortisol levels, working memory, and socioemotional skills. Similar to previous evidence we found only working memory positively predicted learning outcomes and contrary to the current body of literature, socioemotional skills and cortisol were not associated with learning outcomes. Results show the associations among the aforementioned variables may vary across different contexts, demonstrating the need for further research.

Authors

• Isabel Valdivia, Virginia Tech

• Gonzalo Terreros, Universidad de O'Higgins

• Pablo Escobar, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

• Felipe Muñoz, Universidad de O'Higgins