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Theory of mind and school achievement: the mediating role of social competence

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posted on 2023-06-09, 07:45 authored by Serena Lecce, Marcella Caputi, Adriano Pagnin, Robin BanerjeeRobin Banerjee
Recent 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 Development

ISSN

0885-2014

Publisher

Elsevier

Volume

44

Page range

85-97

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2017-08-31

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2019-09-08

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2017-08-31

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