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.

Open Research

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. We would like to thank Amie Crabb and Robyn Campbell for their help with data collection.

REFERENCES

Banerjee, R., & Watling, D. (2005). Children's understanding of faux pas: Associations with peer relations. Hellenic Journal of Psychology, 2, 27–45.
Google Scholar
Banerjee, R., Watling, D., & Caputi, M. (2011). Peer relations and the understanding of faux pas: Longitudinal evidence for bidirectional associations. Child Development, 82, 1887–1905. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01669.x
10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01669.x
CASPubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar
Baron-Cohen, S., O'Riordan, M., Stone, V., Jones, R., & Plaisted, K. (1999). Recognition of faux pas by normally developing children and children with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism. Journal of Autismand Developmental Disorders, 29, 407–418. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023035012436
10.1023/A:1023035012436
CASPubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar
Bart, O., Hajami, D., & Bar-Haim, Y. (2007). Predicting school adjustment from motor abilities in kindergarten. Infant and Child Development, 16, 597–615. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.514
10.1002/icd.514
Web of Science®Google Scholar
Bartsch, K., & Estes, D. (1996). Individual differences in children's developing theory of mind and implications for metacognition. Learning and Individual Differences, 8, 281–304. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1041-6080(96)90020-5
10.1016/S1041-6080(96)90020-5
Web of Science®Google Scholar
Bosacki, S. L. (2015). Children's theory of mind, self-perceptions, and peer relations: A longitudinal study. Infant and Child Development, 24, 175–188. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.1878
10.1002/icd.1878
Web of Science®Google Scholar
Fidalgo, A. M., Tenenbaum, H. R., & Aznar, A. (2018). Are there gender differences in emotion comprehension? Analysis of the test of emotion comprehension. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27, 1065–1074. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0956-5
10.1007/s10826-017-0956-5
PubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar
Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics. Sage.
Google Scholar
Fox, N. A., Rubin, K. H., Calkins, S. D., Marshall, T. R., Coplan, R. J., Porges, S. W., & Long, J. (1995). Frontal activation asymmetry and social competence at four years of age. Child Development, 66, 1770–1786. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1995.tb00964.x
10.1111/j.1467-8624.1995.tb00964.x
CASPubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar
Grazzani, I., & Ornaghi, V. (2012). How do use and comprehension of mental-state language relate to theory of mind in middle childhood? Cognitive Development, 27, 99–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2012.03.002
10.1016/j.cogdev.2012.03.002
Web of Science®Google Scholar
Henderson, S. E., Sugden, D. A., & Barnett, A. L. (2007). Movement assessment battery for children (movement ABC-2) ( 2nd ed.). London: Psychological Corporation.
Google Scholar
Kårstad, S. B., Kvello, O., Wichstrøm, L., & Berg-Nielsen, T. S. (2014). What do parents know about their children's comprehension of emotions? Accuracy of parental estimates in a community sample of pre-schoolers. Child Care Health and Development, 40, 346–353. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12071
10.1111/cch.12071
CASPubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar
Leonard, H. C. (2016). The impact of poor motor skills on perceptual, social and cognitive development: The case of developmental coordination disorder. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(31). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00311
PubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar
Leonard, H. C., & Hill, E. L. (2014). The impact of motor development on typical and atypical social cognition and language: A systematic review. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 19, 163–170.
10.1111/camh.12055
Web of Science®Google Scholar
Nancarrow, A. F., Gilpin, A. T., Thibodeau, R. B., & Farrell, C. B. (2018). Knowing what others know: Linking deception detection, emotion knowledge, and theory of mind in preschool. Infant and Child Development, 27, e2097. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.2097
10.1002/icd.2097
Web of Science®Google Scholar
O'Brien, M., Miner Weaver, J., Nelson, J. A., Calkins, S. D., Leerkes, E. M., & Marcovitch, S. (2011). Longitudinal associations between children's understanding of emotions and theory of mind. Cognition & Emotion, 25, 1074–1086. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2010.518417
10.1080/02699931.2010.518417
PubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar
Pons, F., Harris, P. L., & de Rosnay, M. (2004). Emotion comprehension between 3 and 11 years: Developmental periods and hierarchical organization. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 1, 127–152. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405620344000022
10.1080/17405620344000022
Web of Science®Google Scholar
Pons, F., Harris, P. L., & Doudin, P. A. (2002). Teaching emotion understanding. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 17, 293–304. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173538
10.1007/BF03173538
Web of Science®Google Scholar
Rogoff, B., Dahl, A., & Callanan, M. (2018). The importance of understanding children's lived experience. Developmental Review, 50, 5–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2018.05.006
10.1016/j.dr.2018.05.006
Web of Science®Google Scholar
Smyth, M. M., & Anderson, H. I. (2000). Coping with clumsiness in the school playground: Social and physical play in children with coordination impairments. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 18, 389–413. https://doi.org/10.1348/026151000165760
10.1348/026151000165760
Web of Science®Google Scholar
Tenenbaum, H. R., Visscher, P., Pons, F., & Harris, P. L. (2004). Emotional understanding in Quechua children from an agro-pastoralist village. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 28, 471–478. https://doi.org/10.1080/01650250444000225
10.1080/01650250444000225
Web of Science®Google Scholar
Trentacosta, C. J., & Fine, S. E. (2010). Emotion knowledge, social competence, and behavior problems in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analytic review. Social Development, 19, 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2009.00543.x
10.1111/j.1467-9507.2009.00543.x
PubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar
Wagner, M. O., Bös, K., Jascenoka, J., Jekauc, D., & Petermann, F. (2012). Peer problems mediate the relationship between developmental coordination disorder and behavioral problems in school-aged children. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 33, 2072–2079. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2012.05.012
10.1016/j.ridd.2012.05.012
PubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar

Citing Literature

Volume29, Issue3

May/June 2020

e2172

Motor skills predict faux pas understanding in middle childhood

Abstract

Highlights

Open Research

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

REFERENCES

Citing Literature

References

Information

About Wiley Online Library

Help & Support

Opportunities

Connect with Wiley

Motor skills predict faux pas understanding in middle childhood

Abstract

Highlights

Open Research

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

REFERENCES

Citing Literature

References

Related

Information