Emotion regulation and moral and social rule awareness in early childhood: an exploratory correlational study

= 45), the cross-sectional design, and the exploratory nature of the analyses, causal or predictive claims cannot be made. Limitations include the context-specific sample and reliance on a single assessment occasion. The study provides preliminary, hypothesis-generating insights for educators, counselors, and child service practitioners, emphasizing the potential importance of integrating socio-emotional learning components into early education and child development programs to support adaptive moral and social functioning.