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Theory of mind and school achievement: the mediating role of social competence
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 07:45 authored by Serena Lecce, Marcella Caputi, Adriano Pagnin, Robin BanerjeeRecent findings have highlighted the importance of children's social understanding – specifically their reasoning about beliefs and emotions – for school achievement. However, little is known about the processes that may account for such a relationship. In this longitudinal study we examined the role of children's social competence (as indexed by peer relationships and social skills), using a multi-informant and multi-indicator approach. We followed 73 children during the transition to primary school, gathering data at three time points: Time 1 (age 5), Time 2 (age 7) and Time 3 (age 8). Structural equation modelling showed that Time 1 social understanding predicted Time 2 social competence, which in turn predicted Time 3 school achievement, independently of verbal ability. Moreover, social competence mediated the relationship between early social understanding and later school achievement. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Cognitive DevelopmentISSN
0885-2014Publisher
ElsevierExternal DOI
Volume
44Page range
85-97Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes