The Effectiveness of Emotional Coaching on Young Children’s Social Competence Mediated by SES

• In Event: Poster Session 02
  In Poster Session: PS 02 Topic - Social, Emotional, Personality

Abstract

Young children’s emotional development is pivotal in their long-term well-being and mental health. It further establishes the foundation for learning and academic success in subsequent years (Llorent, et al., 2020; Denham, 2016, 2012). Emotional competence (EC) encompasses abilities to understand others’ emotions, to react to others’ emotions, and to regulate one’s own emotional expressiveness (Ho & Funk, 2018; Rakap, et al., 2018; Halberstadt, Denham & Dunsmore, 2001). It has been linked to children’s successful interaction with others and their overall social competence. Children who manifest EC deficits are more likely to misinterpret other children’s expressive behaviors and to misunderstand the intentions guiding their actions, which exacerbates conflictual interactions, interpersonal discord, and/or even rejection from peers. Given the critical role of emotions and emotional regulation, coaching emotional and social skills to young children in the early years provides an important foundation for social and emotional competence. Our previous studies documented at-risk children whose families experience the stress of economic hardship showed lower Emotional Competence. However, the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on children’s social-emotional competence has not been fully assessed. Therefore, the present study is aimed at examining the behavioral differences and the effect of emotional coaching on at-risk young children in two preschool programs: head-start (with lower SES) and Montessori (with higher SES) programs. Children’s ages are controlled in data collection for three cohorts. The first two cohorts consist of 35 children (18 from the head-start program) between 3 and 5 years of age. The 3rd cohort data with additional 21 children (head-start = 12) contributed to the pretest (baseline behaviors), but the post-test was interrupted by COVID-19. These children are nominated by their teachers in displaying a range of behavioral issues in the classroom. After obtaining parental consent forms, children’s behavioral assessments are taken before and after the emotional coaching implementation described below. Following baseline assessments, children participate in 12 emotional coaching lessons across two months. The emotional coaching sessions consist of approximately the same number of children from each program. The children received the same lessons. They are each paired with an adult as their emotional coaches. The lessons were developed to coach emotional knowledge to these children in enhancing their emotional and social competence. These emotion lessons introduce four basic emotions with puppet shows, storytelling, arts and crafts, and songs to illustrate emotional cues and how emotions are displayed in contexts. Children’s homeroom teachers were asked to rate each child’s social competence before and after the training sessions (using La Freniere and Duma’s, 1995, Social Competence Behavioral Check Evaluation, SCBE). Pre- and post-test interviews assessed children’s recognition of the emotions using two- and three-dimensional stimuli and different response formats. Children were further assessed through videotaped observations of their behaviors in three 3-minute triadic play sessions that were later coded for prosocial and conflictual behaviors. The preliminary results showed lower emotional competence for low SES children. The emotional competence improved for both samples after coaching. The final results and their implications will be shared at the conference.

Group Authors

First author: Chiang, Tsu-Ming
Second author: Beale, Alison
Third author: Romfo, Lauren

Authors

• Tsu-Ming Chiang, Georgia College & State University
  Presenting Author

• Alison Beale, Georgia College & State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lauren Romfo, Georgia College & State University
  Non-Presenting Author