Proximal Processes and Contextual Factors Associated with Early Socio-emotional Competence Development

There is growing interest in child socio-emotional competence from parents, educators, employers and policy makers, with emphasis on developing it as early as possible. The aim of the present study was to examine contextual and proximal factors that influence socio-emotional competence development across the first five years of a child's life. We used data from 3200 mothers and their children drawn mostly from four major data collection waves (antenatal, 9 months, 2 years and 4.5 years) of the population-based longitudinal study, Growing Up in New Zealand. Regression analyses were carried out to identify the predictors of socio-emotional competence after controlling for demographics and prior score(s) of socio-emotional competence. We found that specific maternal behaviours, such as playing games and playing with toys with children, singing songs or telling stories to them, reading books with them, having rules around viewing TV, DVDs and videos, and praising children have a positive effect on socio-emotional competence. Parental relationship warmth and less family stress at 9 months also made positive contributions to socio-emotional competence at 9 months and 2 years. In contrast, attending childcare and having more siblings at home negatively predicted socio-emotional competence at 9 months. Mother's unemployment, living in neighbourhoods perceived as negative and being in contact with family and social services were negatively associated with concurrent socio-emotional competence at 2 years. Overall, more and/or stronger contemporaneous effects were found suggesting that negative effects of contextual factors may not have lasting impact on socio-emotional competence. In addition, the results showed that maternal behaviours need to be practised regularly to have positive impact on child's socio-emotional development.