Socioeconomic status, linguistic skills and language background differentially relate to preschoolers’ emotional and behavioural profile

Abstract

Background: Proximal and distal factors interact in shaping children’s development and well-being. The present study aimed to investigate socioeconomic status (SES), linguistic skills and language background as concurrent predictors of socio-emotional and behavioural skills in heritage bilinguals and monolingual peers attending preschool. Methods: Parents of 1810 preschoolers (mean age = 63.42 months ± 7.36) filled in the Four Factor Index of SES and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Teachers (n =99) compiled a questionnaire on children’s linguistic skills as well as emotional and behavioural profiles. A subsample of 995 children was administered an expressive vocabulary task. Results: Regression analyses showed that linguistic skills were the unique concurrent predictor for conduct problems as well as the dominant predictor for hyperactivity/impulsivity traits, problems in peer relationships and better prosocial behaviour. SES was negatively related to ADHD traits, problems in peer relationships, and prosocial behaviour. Finally, heritage bilingualism background was associated, although not as a primary predictor, with increased emotional problems, peer relationship problems and minor emotional and behavioural skills as assessed by teachers. However, it was the main factor to be positively associated with prosocial behaviour. Conclusions: The implications of these results for the research in the field and for educational policies are discussed, highlighting the need for a multidimensional perspective that includes linguistic skills and SES in the evaluation of children’s emotional and behavioural outcomes.