Psychological Development and Education ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (6): 770-776.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2025.06.02

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Interaction between Behavioral Self-regulation and Social Adjustment in 4~5 Years Old Children: The Inhibitory Effect of Unsociability

XIE Qingbin1, LIN Siting1, CHEN Zekai1, XU Yao1, LI Yan2   

  1. 1. College of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007;
    2. Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234
  • Published:2025-11-05

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Abstract: The one-year longitudinal study investigated the relation between behavioral self-regulation and social adjustment, and the moderating effects of unsociability. At two time point, a total of 113 preschoolers completed Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulder test to capture their behavioral self-regulation, and teachers completed Teacher Behavior Rating Sale to test the preschoolers’ social adjustment. Mother reported their children’s unsociability by completing the Child Social Preference Scale at first time point. The results showed that: (1) In low unsociability preschoolers, behavioral self-regulation at age 4 positively predicted social competence at age 5, but the predictive effect was not significant in high unsociability preschoolers; (2) In low unsociability preschoolers, externalizing problems at age 4 negatively predicted behavioral self-regulation at age 5, but the predictive effect was not significant in high unsociability preschoolers; (3)Behavioral self-regulation at age 4 is a significant negative predictor of internalizing problems at age 5. In conclusion,high unsociability can inhibit the positive effect of children’s behavioral self-regulation ability on social competence, and the negative effect of externalization problem on behavioral self-regulation ability.

Key words: preschooler, behavioral self-regulation, social adjustment, unsociability, externalizing problems

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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