Emotion Recognition Ability in Preschoolers: Outcomes of a Socio-Emotional Intervention

Background: Emotion recognition ability (ERA) plays a central role in children's socio-emotional functioning, supporting early social interactions. This study examined whether ERA shows a pre-post change in a classroom-based training context and explored the association between ERA and socio-emotional adjustment. A secondary aim was to compare ERA between children with and without behavioral difficulties. Methods: A quasi-experimental study using a controlled non-randomized pre-post design was conducted. The sample included 159 children attending four public elementary schools. Study 1 compared an experimental and a control group assessed before and after the intervention using the DANVA-2-RV. Study 2 examined associations between ERA and behavioral functioning assessed via teacher reports (SDQ-TV) using correlational and group comparison analyses. Results: In Study 1, multivariate analyses revealed a significant main effect of Time, indicating overall variation across assessment points, whereas the Time × Group interaction was not statistically significant. Follow-up analyses were therefore interpreted descriptively. In Study 2, lower ERA was associated with higher socio-emotional difficulties, particularly peer problems. Conclusions: Across both studies, ERA varied over time regardless of group condition and was linked to socio-emotional adjustment in early childhood. However, the findings do not support a causal interpretation attributing these changes to the intervention. Future randomized studies are needed to determine whether targeted interventions can effectively modify ERA.