Investigating the relationship between successful intelligence and empathy with social development of preschool children

Successful intelligence and empathy are important components of child rearing that can help children's social development. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between successful intelligence and empathy with social development of preschool children.

The design of the present study was descriptive-correlational. The statistical population of the study included preschool children in Tehran in 1398 that 370 children were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling. In order to collect data, the Vineland Social Growth Scale (1953), the Bryant Empathy Questionnaire and the Successful Intelligence Questionnaire, which have acceptable validity and reliability, were used. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.

The empathy had a direct impact on social development (Β =0.26; P<0.001) and intelligence had an indirect impact on social development of children (Β = 0.13; P <0.02), Data were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression tests.

The results of the analysis showed that there was a significant direct correlation between successful intelligence and students' social development and also a significant correlation between empathy and social development. Finally, the results of regression analysis to explain the contribution of each of the variables of successful intelligence, empathy separately in predicting social growth showed that among the two variables studied, the variable of successful intelligence had the largest share in explaining the social development of students.

Successful empathy and intelligence variables have a positive relationship with social development of preschool children.