Observing preschoolers' social-emotional behavior: structure, foundations, and prediction of early school success

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Updated: May 19, 2026

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
08:09

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

Published on: February 11, 2017

Susanne A Denham1, Hideko Hamada Bassett, Sara K Thayer

  • 1George Mason University, Department of Psychology, MS3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA. sdenham@gmu.edu

The Journal of Genetic Psychology
|August 28, 2012
PubMed

Insights

A new shortened scale (MPAC-R/S) reliably measures preschool social-emotional behaviors. Negative behaviors predicted school success, while emotion knowledge and executive function influenced positive behaviors.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Educational Psychology

Background:

  • Preschool social-emotional behaviors are critical for early school adjustment and academic success.
  • Accurate and reliable measurement tools are essential for research and practical applications in early childhood education.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a shortened version of the Minnesota Preschool Affect Checklist, Revised (MPAC-R/S).
  • To examine age, gender, and risk status differences in social-emotional behaviors.
  • To investigate the contributions of emotion knowledge and executive function to social-emotional behaviors.
  • To assess the impact of social-emotional behaviors on early school adjustment and kindergarten academic success.

Main Methods:

  • The Minnesota Preschool Affect Checklist, Revised (MPAC-R) was used to observe 352 3- and 4-year-olds.
  • A shortened version, MPAC-R/S, was extracted and its psychometric properties compared to the original.
  • Statistical analyses examined group differences, contributions of cognitive factors, and predictive relationships with school outcomes.

Main Results:

  • The MPAC-R/S demonstrated comparable or superior reliability and stability to the MPAC-R.
  • Significant differences in social-emotional behaviors were found based on age, gender, and risk status.
  • Emotion knowledge positively predicted emotionally regulated/prosocial behaviors.
  • Preschool emotionally negative/aggressive behaviors were associated with concurrent and later school success.

Conclusions:

  • The MPAC-R/S is a reliable and valid measure for assessing preschool social-emotional behaviors.
  • Social-emotional behaviors play a crucial role in mediating the relationship between cognitive skills and school outcomes.
  • Findings highlight the importance of supporting social-emotional development in early childhood education settings.

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