Leiden University Student Repository

Koster, Leonie de (2012)

Executief functioneren in relatie tot sociale vaardigheden van basisschoolkinderen

Master thesis | Education and Child Studies (MSc)

Executive functions are critical for adequate social functioning which is mediated by social skills. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between executive functions and social skills of young children because associations between these domains have only rarely been examined. The research group consisted of 109 boys and 98 girls from primary schools with an average age between 4-7 years in 2009 and 5-9 years during the follow-up study in 2010. These children completed measurements of the Social Skills Rating Scale, the Dysexecutive Questionnaire for Children, the Zoo Map task, the Spatial Temporal Span task, the Go No Go task and the Response Organization Objects task. Results indicate that executive dysfunction in daily life is negatively correlated to social skills of boys and girls. For boys there also exists a positive correlation between working memory in 2009 and social skills in 2010. Based on the findings of this study it is concluded that executive dysfunction...Show moreExecutive functions are critical for adequate social functioning which is mediated by social skills. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between executive functions and social skills of young children because associations between these domains have only rarely been examined. The research group consisted of 109 boys and 98 girls from primary schools with an average age between 4-7 years in 2009 and 5-9 years during the follow-up study in 2010. These children completed measurements of the Social Skills Rating Scale, the Dysexecutive Questionnaire for Children, the Zoo Map task, the Spatial Temporal Span task, the Go No Go task and the Response Organization Objects task. Results indicate that executive dysfunction in daily life is negatively correlated to social skills of boys and girls. For boys there also exists a positive correlation between working memory in 2009 and social skills in 2010. Based on the findings of this study it is concluded that executive dysfunction in daily life is a negative predictor for social skills of boys and girls.Show less

social skills

executive functions

sex differences

young children

primary school

Author

Koster, Leonie de

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies

Supervisors

Swaab, Hanna

ECTS Credits

20

Language

nl