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Factors Influencing Preschool Children’s Social-Emotional Development: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis Faktor-Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Perkembangan Sosioemosi Kanak-Kanak Prasekolah: Tinjauan Literatur Sistematik dan Meta-Analisis
Abstract
Social-emotional development in preschool children lays the groundwork for later academic achievement, psychological well-being, and social competence. However, the relative influence of different factors on early social-emotional outcomes has not been quantitatively synthesized. This systematic review was also registered in the INPLASY database (INPLASY202610017) retrospectively. This study employed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of empirical research (2005–2025) to synthesize existing evidence on key influencing factors of social-emotional outcomes in 3- to 6-year-old children. A total of 1,502 records were initially identified across five major databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Thirteen studies (N ≈ 3,500 children) that met the established inclusion and exclusion criteria and provided sufficient data for effect-size calculation have been selected. The analysis identified five key domains of influencing factors namely, peer-related social-emotional factors, emotion regulation and control, behavioral inhibition (and anxiety), emotion understanding (and related cognitive-emotional skills), and academic/school-related outcomes, with effect sizes pooled across studies to quantify their associations. The findings reveal that peer-related social-emotional factors exhibited a moderate effect (d=0.28, 95% CI [0.20, 0.37], p<1e−9), while academic and school-related outcomes showed a similarly robust association (d=0.30, 95% CI [0.21, 0.40], p<1e−9). Emotion understanding and regulation demonstrated a smaller but significant effect (d=0.16, 95% CI [0.04, 0.29], p=0.01), whereas emotion regulation and control (d=0.03, p=0.31) and behavioral inhibition (d=0.08, p=0.20) did not reach statistical significance. The findings highlight the prominent role of peer interactions and academic engagement in shaping social-emotional development, whereas intrinsic emotional and behavioral factors appear less influential in the preschool context. Beyond summarizing current evidence, the review underscores the importance of practical implications for early education: interventions that promote positive peer relations and integrate social-emotional learning with academic activities may be most effective. Overall, this meta-analysis contributes a quantitative foundation for prioritizing interventions aimed at fostering social-emotional competencies during early childhood.
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