The relationship between social avoidance, behavioral self-regulation, and social adjustment among Chinese Kindergartners

Research consistently indicates that socially avoidant children face challenges in adapting to social settings. This investigation aimed to explore the relationship between social avoidance and social adjustment and the moderating role of behavioral self-regulation. The study included 211 children (111 boys, Mage = 48.81 months, SD = 2.51). These children attended two public kindergartens located in Shanghai, China. The current study also include data from children's teachers and mothers. After controlling for child gender, age, shyness, unsociability, and parental education level, the research found that: (1) Social avoidance was positively associated with asocial behavior when behavioral self-regulation was low, but negatively associated when behavioral self-regulation was high; (2) Peer exclusion was unrelated to social avoidance at low behavioral self-regulation, but negatively associated at high behavioral self-regulation; (3) Anxious-fearful behavior showed a similar pattern, with a significant negative association emerging only at high behavioral self-regulation. These results suggest that higher behavioral self-regulation may buffer or alter the interpretation of socially avoidant behavior.