Classroom emotional support as a protective factor for adaptive social behavior

Abstract

Preschoolers with social behavior difficulties are at an elevated risk for a multitude of negative outcomes and psychopathology. Identifying risk factors for and protective factors against social behavior problem development is crucial for creating preventive interventions. We assessed the risk for social behavior problems related to the emotion dysfunction of each the child, parent, and home environment, as well as the protective nature of classroom emotional support, by evaluating adaptive and maladaptive social behavior in 194 Head Start preschoolers. Results showed that emotion dysfunction of the child, parent, and home predicted lower levels of prosocial behavior. Moreover, emotional support facilitated the development of prosocial behavior for children whose parents exhibited emotion dysfunction. Based on these findings, we discuss potential interventions that focus on fostering emotionally supportive classrooms.