The Relationship Between Executive Function Subcomponents and Emotion Understanding in 3-6 Years Old Children: A Cross-Lagged Regression Analysis

doi:10.12139/j.1672-0628.2025.04.006

Abstract

Abstract:

To explore the relationship between subcomponents of executive function and emotion understanding in 3-6-year-old children as well as their longitudinal predictive effects, this study adopted a cross-lagged regression analysis approach to conduct a 6-month longitudinal tracking investigation involving 108 children from a kindergarten in a provincial capital city in central China. The results showed that: 1) executive function significantly and positively predicted emotion understanding; 2) a significant and positive bidirectional predictive relationship was found between working memory and emotion understanding; 3) cognitive flexibility significantly and positively predicted emotion understanding. These results indicate that enhancing working memory and cognitive flexibility could serve as effective pathways to promote the development of children’s emotion understanding. Future research should incorporate multi-task designs to further validate the mechanisms of action underlying inhibitory control.

Key words: 3-6 years old children, executive function, emotion understanding, cross-lagged regression analysis

摘要：

为揭示3～6岁儿童执行功能子成分与情绪理解之间的关系以及纵向预测作用，本研究采用交叉滞后分析方法，对中部某省会城市某幼儿园108名儿童进行间隔6个月追踪调查。结果表明：(1)儿童执行功能显著正向预测其情绪理解；(2)工作记忆与情绪理解存在显著双向及正向预测作用；(3)认知灵活性显著正向预测情绪理解。因此，提升儿童工作记忆和认知灵活性可作为促进其情绪理解发展的有效路径，未来研究需结合多任务设计进一步验证抑制控制的作用机制。

关键词: 3~6岁儿童, 执行功能, 情绪理解, 交叉滞后

Yue YUAN, Hang ZHANG, Yanan CHEN, Qiaoling LI. The Relationship Between Executive Function Subcomponents and Emotion Understanding in 3-6 Years Old Children: A Cross-Lagged Regression Analysis[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2025, 23(4): 472-478.

袁悦, 张航, 陈亚楠, 李巧灵. 3～6岁儿童执行功能子成分与情绪理解的关系：一项交叉滞后分析[J]. 心理与行为研究, 2025, 23(4): 472-478.

Figures/Tables 4

References 0

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	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1.工作记忆T1
2.工作记忆T2	0.50**
3.认知灵活性T1	0.40**	0.45**
4.认知灵活性T2	0.16	0.20*	0.35**
5.抑制控制T1	0.26**	0.29**	0.43**	0.21*
6.抑制控制T2	0.17	0.10	0.12	0.23*	0.20*
7.情绪理解T1	0.42**	0.46**	0.43**	0.13	0.42**	0.08
8.情绪理解T2	0.33**	0.33**	0.31**	0.22*	0.20*	0.20*	0.33**
M	7.25	8.40	31.10	33.37	18.43	18.95	8.18	8.83
SD	2.82	2.14	5.96	3.24	2.88	1.84	1.71	1.16

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1.工作记忆T1
2.工作记忆T2	0.50**
3.认知灵活性T1	0.40**	0.45**
4.认知灵活性T2	0.16	0.20*	0.35**
5.抑制控制T1	0.26**	0.29**	0.43**	0.21*
6.抑制控制T2	0.17	0.10	0.12	0.23*	0.20*
7.情绪理解T1	0.42**	0.46**	0.43**	0.13	0.42**	0.08
8.情绪理解T2	0.33**	0.33**	0.31**	0.22*	0.20*	0.20*	0.33**
M	7.25	8.40	31.10	33.37	18.43	18.95	8.18	8.83
SD	2.82	2.14	5.96	3.24	2.88	1.84	1.71	1.16

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