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Abstract:
Purpose
This study aims to explore how the preschoolers’ language ability and caregivers’ parenting behaviors relate to
preschoolers’ social and emotional competence, as well as to examine whether caregivers’ parenting behaviors
play a moderating role in the link between preschoolers’ language ability and their social and emotional competence.
Design/methodology/approach
The participants were 235 preschoolers (122 boys and 113 girls) with an average age of 18.99 months (SD % 10.83).
All data were reported by the caregivers (89.4% were by biological mothers and 10.6% by biological fathers).
Findings
The results showed that preschoolers’ language ability, responsive parenting were positively associated with
preschoolers’ social and emotional competence. In addition, under certain conditions (i.e., when young children
have improper or rebellious behaviors), punitive parenting was positively related to preschoolers’ social and emotional
competence. Furthermore, this style of punitive parenting played a moderating role in the association between
preschoolers’ language ability and their social and emotional competence. That is, preschoolers with poorer language
ability had better social and emotional competence when their caregivers utilize punitive discipline to deal with their
inappropriate behaviors.
Originality/value
Study on the functions and influences of parenting with negative features (e.g., behavioral punishment) needs to take
into account of children’s developmental stage and developmental characteristics.
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APA:
Cheng, C.-L., Tu, M.-J., Chen, H.-Y., & Chang, C.-J. (2016). Preschoolers’ social and emotional competence in relation to their language ability and caregivers’ parenting behaviors. Contemporary Educational Research Quarterly, 24(3), 1-27.
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