Pw. Garner et al., SOCIAL COMPETENCE AMONG LOW-INCOME PRESCHOOLERS - EMOTION SOCIALIZATION PRACTICES AND SOCIAL COGNITIVE CORRELATES, Child development, 65(2), 1994, pp. 622-637
Two studies were designed to investigate the relation between emotion
socialization variables, social cognitive knowledge, and children's so
cial competence. In Study 1, the expression and situation knowledge of
46 low-income preschoolers were assessed. Peer competence within the
preschool setting was also evaluated. Mothers completed questionnaires
designed to assess negative emotion socialization practices. Results
showed that maternal reports of their emotion socialization practices
were related to sad and angry situation knowledge. The aggregate measu
re of situation knowledge predicted peer competence. In Study 2, 41 lo
w-income preschoolers were observed in a caregiving situation with the
ir younger siblings. The preschoolers' rate of caregiving behavior was
recorded and measures of their situation knowledge, emotional role ta
king, and caregiving script knowledge were obtained. Mothers completed
emotion socialization questionnaires. Situation knowledge was the soc
ial cognitive variable that predicted sibling caregiving behavior. How
ever, only the maternal emotion socialization variables were directly
related to sibling caregiving behavior. These findings highlight the i
mportance of situation knowledge and emotion socialization practices f
or low-income children's social competence with peers and siblings and
provide much needed information on the social development of low-inco
me children.