Differential Impact of an Executive-Function and a Social Cognition Training on Preschoolers with Externalizing Behavior Problems

During childhood, externalizing behaviors (EB) are displayed as agitation, hyperactivity, impulsivity, opposition, emotional instability, provocation, resistance, aggressiveness, or irritability. And EB usually result from neurological, developmental, environmental and parenting factors. Some researchers have highlighted that individual and environmental risk factors could be responsible of the likelihood of EB at preschool age. And the individual risk factors included notably social cognition (SC) and executive functions (EF). Besides, externalizing behavior problems are a primary cause of consultation in preschoolers. The aim of the present experimental study was to compare the impact of two very targeted child-oriented trainings in the increasing of social competence and decreasing of EB in preschoolers.

One training targeted SC abilities while the second one targeted EF capacities. These two trainings were compared on 48 preschoolers presenting clinically relevant levels of EB. The preschoolers were aged between 3 years and 2 months and 5 years and 11 months old (M age = 52.33 months, SD = 9.03 months). And the native language of participants was invariably belgian and they were all Caucasians. Besides, parents’ level of education was evaluated on a scale (from elementary school not completed to university).

The comparison of those results highlighted how each training could help preschoolers with EB in their behavior, emotion regulation and social adjustment. In comparison to a waiting-list control-group, the two trainings were effective in decreasing EB and differentiated impacts of the two trainings were obtained on different dimensions of profiles of social competence and emotion regulation. Results were discussed for their research and clinical implications. And the results allowed practitioners to adjust their intervention to the strengths and weaknesses of the child, and to the targeted competences. Moreover, training parents to several techniques used in both trainings when games, visual supports, the three characters, etc. are used could help to consolidate some acquired skills and reinforce their efficacy.

Article by Marine Houssa, et al, from Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium.

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