Language Competence and Social Preference in Childhood: A Meta-Analysis

Language competence facilitates making contact with others, interpreting others' behavior, and communicating one's own needs. However, evidence on the relation between language competence and social preference, that is, the degree to which someone is accepted or rejected by the peer group, is mixed. The scope of the current study was to examine this relation by conducting a meta-analysis. We included studies published in English, without any restrictions on the form or year of publication. Results of 42 studies and 49 independent samples of 7,077 children (mean age = 6.0 years, SD = 1.9; range: 3.0-11.0 years) revealed a significant relation between oral language competence and social preference, with an effect size of r = .25. Gender, language modality, and methodological characteristics were tested as possible moderators but did not explain variation between studies. Age was a significant moderator, with language competence more important for younger than for older children in gaining social acceptance.