Indirect Relations between Language and Behavior Problems in Preschoolers: The Role of Executive Difficulties

被引：4

作者：

Spataro, Pietro ^{[1
]}

Cerutti, Rita ^{[2
]}

Laghi, Fiorenzo ^{[3
]}

Longobardi, Emiddia ^{[2
]}

机构：

[1] Univ Mercatorum, Fac Econ, Rome, Italy

[2] Sapienza Univ Rome, Fac Med & Psychol, Dept Dynam & Clin Psychol & Hlth Studies, Via Apuli 1, I-00185 Rome, Italy

[3] Sapienza Univ Rome, Fac Med & Psychol, Dept Dev & Social Psychol, Rome, Italy

来源：

JOURNAL OF GENETIC PSYCHOLOGY | 2022年 / 183卷 / 06期

关键词：

Language; executive functions; behavior problems; internalizing; externalizing problems; preschoolers; EXTERNALIZING PROBLEMS; INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES; SOCIAL COMPETENCE; SELF-REGULATION; EARLY CHILD; MEDIATION; AGE; SKILLS; EMOTIONALITY; INHIBITION;

D O I：

10.1080/00221325.2022.2082859

中图分类号：

B844 [发展心理学（人类心理学）];

学科分类号：

040202 ;

摘要：

The present study investigated the concurrent relations between language ability, executive difficulties, and behavior problems in a sample of 142 preschoolers ranging in age between 3 and 6 years of age. Language skills were assessed with a direct task, whereas ratings of executive difficulties and behavior problems were obtained from teachers. Regression analyses indicated that difficulties in flexibility and inhibitory self-control were positively associated with internalizing problems, and difficulties in inhibitory self-control were positively associated with externalizing problems. The associations between emergent metacognition and internalizing problems and between inhibitory self-control and externalizing problems were both moderated by sex, being stronger in boys than in girls. Lastly, language had indirect effects on internalizing problems by decreasing children's difficulties in flexibility, as well as on externalizing problems by decreasing children' difficulties in inhibitory self-control. Overall, these findings support the idea that low language skills may interfere with preschoolers' ability to exploit the executive functions of inner language to self-regulate their own behaviors, especially in boys.

引用

页码：495 / 513

页数：19