Relationship between language development, executive functions, and emotion regulation in preschoolers

Abstract

Previous studies have looked at the correlation between (a) language development and emotions, (b) language development and executive functions and (c) executive functions and emotions separately. However, none have looked at the tripartite relationship between all three variables. This study investigates the correlation between these three variables by looking at a sample of preschoolers, aged five- to six-year-old (N= 50). The children were administered a series of tasks to test their language development, emotion regulation and executive functions. The findings found a significant correlation between (a) language development and emotions but not between (b) language development and executive functions and (c) executive functions and emotions. It suggests that language is an important tool in emotion regulation. The discussion focuses on the implication of the findings on the Theory of Mind as it shows its importance in emotion regulation. This has positive implications for schools as it highlights what is essential for the development of emotion regulation. Although this study failed to establish any relationships between (b) or (c), due to the number and nature of tasks used for each of the measures and the participants profile, the findings can be used to inform the planning of future studies.