Journal of East China Normal University(Educationa ›› 2019, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (3): 33-46.doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2019.03.003

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Trend and Risk Factors of Early Childhood Social Emotional Development: Based on the Survey Findings from Poor Rural China

Li Shanshan1, Wang Boya1, Chen Peng2, Tang Lei1, Shi Yaojiang1   

  1. 1. Center for Experimental Economics in Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China;
    2. College of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
  • Online:2019-05-20 Published:2019-05-21

Abstract: The overall improved quality of the population is a critical factor of sustained economic development. It is of great significance to improve the level of social emotional development of infants in rural China. Social emotion, as an important component of early childhood development, is the basis for human capital development. In this study, which focuses on the social-emotional development of children in rural China, infants 6-24 months old were randomly selected. Using Age and Stages Questionnaires:Social-Emotion, we study the current and future development and factors affecting the development of infants' social emotion in poor rural China. The results show that 44.18% of the infants have social emotional developmental delays in baseline, and the proportion of children with such delays increases to 63.38% in the following-up data. The level of social emotional development of girls is better than that of boys. We also discovered that mothers played an important role in promoting social emotional development of infants both in baseline and following-up survey. In addition, good parenting behavior plays an important role in promoting the social development of infants. In order to promote the development of infants and young children in poor rural areas, the government needs to increase investment in early childhood development, disseminate relevant information in rural areas to increase awareness, fundamentally change parenting in rural areas, provide more local employment opportunities for mothers in rural areas, and ultimately promote the healthy development of infants' social emotion. Finally, it is advisable to strengthen the assessment of early childhood development projects and explore an intervention model suitable for families in rural China.

Key words: rural areas, early childhood development, social emotion, influencing factors