Enhancing the emotion regulation of preschool children through the EmoPlay Pals App: Evidence from China

Although interest in technology-assisted interventions is increasing, studies involving preschool-aged children remain limited. This gap is especially evident in the lack of empirical work on culturally adapted digital tools that help young children manage their emotions. In the Chinese context, most existing approaches continue to rely on traditional materials such as picture books, and only a small number of studies have examined interactive applications grounded in psychological theory. To address this gap, the present study examined the effectiveness of the EmoPlay Pals App, an interactive Mandarin-language application designed with familiar cultural contexts, everyday preschool routines, and age-appropriate role models for Chinese children. A quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design with a delayed post-test was used. The sample consisted of 100 preschool children aged 4-5 years from two kindergartens in Chengdu, China, randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 50) or the control group (n = 50). Over eight weeks, the experimental group used the EmoPlay Pals App during classroom activities, while the control group continued with picture-book-based emotional learning activities. Emotion regulation was assessed at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and again three weeks later. Semi-structured interviews with teachers added further insight into classroom behaviours and children's use of the strategies taught. Repeated-measures ANOVA showed a significant group × time interaction, with the experimental group showing improvements that continued beyond the intervention period. Teachers echoed these patterns, reporting noticeable gains in attention, impulse control, and adaptability among the children who used the app. Overall, the findings show that a theory-informed, culturally grounded digital tool can meaningfully support preschool children's emotion-regulation development, pointing to its potential value in early childhood education.