Child Emotional Competence: A Unified Framework and Parent-report Measure of Emotion Reasoning, Emotion Stability, Emotion Regulation, and Empathy

Emotional competence (EC) plays a vital role in children's development, well-being, and mental health outcomes. However, the field lacks consensus on definitions and measurement approaches, leading to inconsistencies and limitations in understanding and assessing EC. This paper presents a unifying theoretical framework for EC that integrates and clarifies the various components of emotional functioning. Additionally, a new measure, the Emotional Competence Inventory for Children (ECIC), was developed and validated to assess EC based on the proposed framework. The study involved two separate samples (N = 695) recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk. Data analysis included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, measurement invariance testing, and assessments of reliability and validity. Results supported the four components of EC: Emotion Reasoning, Emotion Stability, Emotion Regulation, and Empathy. Subscales of Emotion Reasoning and Emotion Stability were identified, providing nuanced insights into emotional development. The ECIC measure demonstrated strong psychometric properties, including measurement invariance across various demographic factors. The unique predictive associations of ECIC scales/subscales shed light on their differential impacts on child health outcomes, aiding precision-medicine approaches and intervention efforts. The validated ECIC measure offers an important tool for assessing EC and guiding personalized treatment strategies. This unified theoretical framework and measure contribute to advancing our understanding of EC, supporting children's emotional development, and promoting their overall well-being. Future research should further validate and refine the framework while investigating its applicability in diverse populations and treatment settings.