Evaluation of Self-Monitoring in Pre-Schools with Different Social Repertories

Abstract

Difficulties in self-monitoring are potentially related to behavior problems and deficits in social skills. Clarifying these relationships — still little investigated in early childhood — can bring theoretical and practical contributions to child development. This study sought to characterize self-monitoring indicators (self-description, description, and choice of consequences) in preschool children, with different repertoires of social skills and problem behaviors. A total of 53 preschool children (5 – 6 years-old), of both sexes and from public schools were assessed by their parents and teachers on social skills and problem behaviors and completed tasks from an Illustrative Self-Monitoring Resource. The results indicated: (a) better scores for children with social skills in all self-monitoring indicators; (b) positive correlations of indicators with social skills and negative correlations with internalizing problem behaviors. The possible influence of cognitive and verbal development on outcomes, the usefulness of the Illustrative Self-Monitoring resource to identify existing contingencies, and the importance of promoting self-monitoring in early childhood are discussed.