The development of emotional understanding and behavioral self-regulation in kindergarten children from German and immigrant families

The present study explores whether kindergarten children with and without immigrant parents in Germany differ in respect to their emotion understanding (TEC) and their behavioral self-regulation (HTKS). 356 three-to-six-year-olds with germanborn parents were contrasted with 155 children with at least one parent who was born abroad. In addition, influences of children's age, gender, and their receptive understanding of the German language were included in the analyses. There were strong effects for migration background and no main effects for gender. When children's language abilities were included in the analyses, the significant influence of having at least one immigrant parent on emotion understanding and behavioral self regulation disappeared. Moreover: receptive language skills that are related to parents' migration status exerted themselves a significant influence. Children with at least one non-german parent were on average less proficient in their receptive language abilities, their emotion understanding, and their behavioral self-regulation than children of two germanborn parents. The function of language for the acquisition of emotion understanding and self regulation is discussed.