De relatie tussen inhibitie van kleuters en conflictgedrag

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the relationship between four- to six-year-old children’s inhibitory control and the conflict behaviour they display in school. To do so, conflict behaviour was divided into the sub variables ‘conflict behaviour in the child-child relationship’ and ‘conflict behaviour in the teacher-child relationship’. 182 Dutch participants were included in this study (age 4;0 to 6;11, 48.1% female, 51.9% male). Data on inhibitory control was obtained using the gekke dierentaak, data on conflict behaviour by a teacher questionnaire. Results did not show a significant correlation between both inhibitory control and conflict behaviour in child-child relationships, as well as inhibitory control and conflict behaviour in teacher-child relationships. Also, no predictive value for inhibitory control was found when child-child and teacher-child conflict behaviour were taken together. These results did not meet the expectations based on previous research. Substantive and methodological limitations that could possibly explain the discrepancy between expectations and findings are given.