Emotional competence programs in middle childhood: a meta-analysis

Background: Learning basic emotional competencies is a central developmental task for children, as these are related to the development of other competencies. Middle childhood (6-12 years) seems to be particularly useful for the implementation of emotional competence programs, since children in this age period are more independent than in early childhood and conducive competencies in language as well as thinking are learned simultaneously in school.Objectives: To date, it is unclear how German-language programs to promote emotional competences in primary prevention work in detail for this age group. Therefore, the present meta-analysis aims to quantify data on emotional competence programs and their content and effectiveness in middle-aged children and to derive concrete insights for practice.Methods: Two systematic literature searches were conducted as part of this: 1) search for appropriate programs for this age range (N = 20) and 2) search for evaluation studies in a control group design for the programs found (k = 49, with inclusion of over 27 000 person data).Results: Emotional competence programs achieve moderate effects on emotional development (averaged and weighted by sample size: d = 0.48). This mean effect is significantly larger than the averaged effect sizes from previous meta-analyses examining broader age ranges. Likely effective moderator variables were found to be age of the target audience (between 6 and 10 years), holistic of the program, and parental involvement. Limitations: There is a lack of studies per program, which limits the power of findings on specific programs. Future studies should aim to evaluate existing programs in a more comprehensive and differentiated manner.Conclusion: Emotional competence programs are appropriate for promoting emotional development in children 6 to 12 years of age. The findings, including recommendations for conceptualizing future programs, are valuable for schools, psychologists, educators, and ultimately parents and children.