Social information processing and peer interaction in gifted preschool children

BACKGROUND: During early childhood, the foundation for social information processing skills is laid, enabling children to understand their social environment and interactions with peers and adapt to them. Although social interaction skills have generally been studied in young children, there are limited studies that directly address the relationship between social information processing and social interaction in gifted children. Therefore, the development of early interventions to support the social adaptation of gifted children is of critical importance. This study aims to examine the relationship between social information processing and social interaction skills in gifted children during the early developmental period. METHODS: The study was designed as a cross-sectional analysis. This study relied on convenience sampling, a type of purposive sampling technique. Thirty gifted children were included in the investigation. The study employed the Social Information Processing Interview-Preschool Version and the Interaction Rating Scale between Children. RESULTS: The study found a significant and positive connection between the Benign Intent aspect of social information processing skills in gifted children and their cooperation and assertiveness abilities in relationships. A significant and positive correlation was found between the positive response structure of social information processing skills and the self-regulation dimension of interaction skills. CONCLUSIONS: Gifted children's advanced ability to interact positively in social situations plays a significant role in fostering unity within their peer groups and strengthening their confident communication abilities. Having strong self-regulation abilities affects one's capacity to create positive responses.