A Comparison of Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Characteristics by Parent Screening of Language and Emotion (PSLE) Levels

Purpose : This study investigated the relationships among parent screening of language and emotion (PSLE) scores, Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test (REVT) scores, and the emotional and behavioral characteristics measured by the Korean version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-KR). We also examined the extent to which PSLE and REVT scores predict children’s emotional and behavioral outcomes. Methods : A total of 51 preschool children aged 3~6 with nonverbal IQ scores (KBIT-2) of 85 or higher participated in this study. The parent screening of language and emotion (PSLE), the Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test (REVT), and the Korean version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-KR) were administered. Participants were divided into high (top 25%) and low (bottom 25%) PSLE groups to examine group differences. Spearman correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted. Results : Children in the low PSLE group showed significantly higher peer problems and total difficulties than those in the high PSLE group. PSLE scores were positively associated with prosocial behavior and negatively associated with hyperactivity, emotional symptoms, and peer problems. In the regression analyses, REVT scores were not significant predictors, whereas PSLE scores significantly predicted children’s total difficulty scores. Conclusions : These findings suggest that parent-reported language development as measured by PSLE may be closely related to children’s emotional and behavioral adjustment in daily contexts. Parent-reported tools such as the PSLE and SDQ-KR may therefore be valuable for early screening of language and behavioral challenges in clinical and educational settings.