Are Social Information Processing Patterns Meaningful in Early Childhood?

Introduction: Crick and Dodge’s (1994) social information processing (SIP) model provides a framework for understanding how children encode, interpret and enact responses in the social world. SIP variables have been shown to predict behavioral responses to social situations in middle and late childhood (Dodge, 2006; Orobrio de Castro et al., 2002). Its application to early childhood, however, has been much more limited. Some have suggested that children’s SIP tendencies may not influence their social and behavioral functioning as strongly in early childhood as they do later in childhood (Crick & Dodge 1994). Programs (e.g., Dina Dinosaur program and GOALS) have recently developed that attempt to shape SIP patterns (e.g., hostile biases) beyond emotion recognition and social problem solving, to which other programs have been limited.

The current study tested the overall reliability and validity of SIP in early childhood. We assessed the reliability of SIP variables, their stability from Fall to Spring, and their relations to behavioral functioning.

Method:139 3-to-5-year-old students attending Baltimore City Head Start centers. Students were predominantly African American, and 44% were female. We assessed children in fall and spring on emotion accuracy using the Assessment of Children’s Emotion Skills, SIP using a measure that involves showing students 18 short videos in which a child receives provocation of ambiguous intent (e.g., not allowed to play in a game) and is then asked why the provocateur acted as s/he did, how the victim feels, and how the victim will respond. Specifically, the percent of hostile intent attributions to the provocateur, the percent of anger and sadness attributions to the victim, and the percent of adaptive and aggressive/coercive behavioral responses expected by the victim were assessed. Teacher reported behavior problems using the BASC and DECA were obtained as well.

Results and Discussion: Ten of twelve SIP reliability coefficients were above .70 in both the fall and the spring. Pearson correlations demonstrated a range (r = .27 to r = .46) of significant but moderate six-month stability in all SIP variables. Surprisingly few concurrent relations in the fall (2/6) and in the spring (1/6) were significant, but more predictive validity was found from fall SIP to spring behaviors (3/6). Results demonstrate weak but significant stability for SIP variables thus suggesting that SIP as a construct exists in early childhood and thus it is appropriate to implement programs that promote shaping adaptive SIP.