Motor skills predict faux pas understanding in middle childhood

Abstract

This study examined emotion understanding and motor skills as predictors of children's understanding of faux pas. Faux paus situations are those in which someone causes unintentional offence or behaves inappropriately. Understanding of faux pas requires knowledge of social norms in specific situations as well as emotion understanding. Misunderstanding faux pas can prevent smooth social functioning. Fifty-six children (aged 7; 0 to 9; 11 years) completed a measure of faux pas understanding, emotion understanding, and motor skills. Children's faux pas understanding, emotion understanding, and motor skills were all related to each other. However, when age, motor skills, and emotion understanding were entered into a regression to predict faux pas understanding, only motor skills predicted understanding of faux pas. The findings are discussed in relation to potential pathways between motor skills and social understanding. Highlights: We examined relations between emotion understanding (Test of Emotion Comprehension), motor skills (Movement Assessment Battery for Children), and faux pas. All three variables were related, but in a multiple regression with age, only motor skills predicted children's faux pas understanding. Motor skills may contribute to children's smooth social functioning.