Language games and emotion understanding in preschool context: A training study

Introduction. Plenty of studies have shown the crucial role of language ability in the development of social understanding (Tompkins et al., 2018) and particularly the association between language, theory of mind and emotion understanding. In this new study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a validated Program (Ornaghi & Grazzani, 2020) based on the techniques of word launching and language games in enhancing preschoolers’ emotion understanding, that is their ability to comprehend the nature, causes and possibility to regulate emotions. Method. Participants were 196 preschoolers (mean age = 55.00 months, SD = 10.01, range = 36-72 months) attending three nursery schools, who were randomly assigned to either a training (n = 101) or control (n = 96) group. During the intervention phase of the study, which lasted 10 weeks, the training participants listened to stories and then engaged in conversational activities drawn from the Program guidelines. In contrast, children in the control group participated in drawing activities or free play after listening to the same stories. Both groups completed the Peabody (Stella et al. 2000) and the TEC (Test of Emotion Comprehension, Albanese & Molina, 2008) during the pre-test and post-test phases. Results. No significant differences emerged at pre-test phase between the two groups. MANOVA showed a significant Time effect, Wilks’s λ = .765, F = 59.8, p = <.001, ηp2 = .235, and a significant Time x Condition interaction, as trained participants significantly outperformed the control participants in emotion understanding total scores, Wilks’s λ = .920, F = 17.0, p = <.001, ηp2 = .080. Conclusion. The results suggest the utility of a program based on language games and conversation to promote children’s emotion understanding, that is a relevant component of their social understanding. References Albanese, O., & Molina, P. (2008, Eds.). Lo sviluppo della comprensione delle emozioni e la sua valutazione. Milano: Unicopli. Ornaghi, V., & Grazzani, I. (2020). Lo sviluppo della comprensione sociale nei bambini. Parma: Junior. Stella, Pizzoli, C., and Tressoldi, P. (2000). Peabody. Test di Vocabolario recettivo. Torino: Omega. Tompkins, V., Benigno, J. P., Kiger Lee, B., and Wright, B.M. (2018). The relation between parents’ mental state talk and children’s social understanding: a meta-analysis. Social Development, 27(2), 223-246. doi: 10.1111/sode.12280