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Profiles of Social Competence among Low–Income African American Preschool Children
Author(s) -
Mendez Julia L.,
Fantuzzo John,
Cicchetti Dante
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8624.00459
Subject(s) - psychology , developmental psychology , temperament , social competence , disadvantaged , competence (human resources) , autonomy , peer group , vocabulary , child development , social change , social psychology , personality , linguistics , philosophy , political science , law , economics , economic growth
Relations between children’s personal attributes and peer play competence were investigated in a sample of 141 African American preschool children who participated in Head Start. Variable–oriented analyses confirmed that dispositions of temperament, emotion regulation, autonomy, and language were related to children’s peer play competence in the classroom. Person–oriented analyses revealed distinctive profiles of personal attributes linked to adaptive preschool social functioning. A small group of resilient children whose profile was characterized by highly adaptable temperament, ability to approach new situations, and above average vocabulary development evidenced the greatest social competence with peers. Children who were disruptive with peers were equally divided between two profiles characterized by inattention and activity, but with differential performance on vocabulary tasks. A profile containing calm, reticent children was the group least likely to engage in disruptive peer play. Inspection of the six profiles revealed the within–group variability for this economically disadvantaged sample and illustrated the differential importance of temperament, regulation, and language constructs. Findings from the profile analyses and relations with peer competence inform the study of resilience in social development for urban African American children who participate in early intervention preschool programs.