Volume 23, Issue 4 (3-2026)
RBS 2026, 23(4): 716-728 |
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Riahi Madvar S, Bagheri M, Askari Zadeh G. The Role of Executive Function in Peer Rejection with the Mediating Role of Relational Aggression in Preschool Children. RBS 2026; 23 (4) :716-728
URL: http://rbs.mui.ac.ir/article-1-2054-en.html
URL: http://rbs.mui.ac.ir/article-1-2054-en.html
1- .A. in General Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
2- Professor, Department of Psychology, School of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran ,masoudbagheriuk@gmail.com
3- Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, School of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
2- Professor, Department of Psychology, School of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran ,
3- Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, School of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
Abstract: (345 Views)
Aim and Background: One of the basic needs of all humans is to have positive social interaction, and for children, entering school or kindergarten provides conditions for social interaction, but some children are not successful in this regard and are rejected by their peers. This research was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between executive functions and peer rejection, considering the mediating role of relational aggression in preschool children in Kerman.
Methods and Materials: This study was a descriptive-correlational type using structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all 5 and 6-year-old children in Kerman in the academic year 1403-1404. Using an available sampling method, 278 children were selected. Data were collected using the BRIEF-2 Executive Function Questionnaire (parent form), the Vahedi Preschool Aggression Questionnaire, and a sociometric scale to measure peer rejection. Data were analyzed using Smart-PLS 3 software and, due to the non-normality of the data, using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method
Findings: The results indicate the mediating role of relational aggression between executive functions and peer rejection, meaning that better executive functions indirectly lead to more peer rejection through increased relational aggression.
Conclusions: The findings of this research emphasize the complexity of relationships between cognitive-social variables at young ages. Contrary to common expectation, in this sample, better executive functions led to an increase in relational aggression, which increases the likelihood of the child being rejected by peers. This result may indicate that children with higher cognitive skills may use these skills to employ more complex aggressive tactics such as relational aggression.
Methods and Materials: This study was a descriptive-correlational type using structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all 5 and 6-year-old children in Kerman in the academic year 1403-1404. Using an available sampling method, 278 children were selected. Data were collected using the BRIEF-2 Executive Function Questionnaire (parent form), the Vahedi Preschool Aggression Questionnaire, and a sociometric scale to measure peer rejection. Data were analyzed using Smart-PLS 3 software and, due to the non-normality of the data, using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method
Findings: The results indicate the mediating role of relational aggression between executive functions and peer rejection, meaning that better executive functions indirectly lead to more peer rejection through increased relational aggression.
Conclusions: The findings of this research emphasize the complexity of relationships between cognitive-social variables at young ages. Contrary to common expectation, in this sample, better executive functions led to an increase in relational aggression, which increases the likelihood of the child being rejected by peers. This result may indicate that children with higher cognitive skills may use these skills to employ more complex aggressive tactics such as relational aggression.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
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Received: 2025/11/29 | Accepted: 2026/01/31 | Published: 2026/03/1
Received: 2025/11/29 | Accepted: 2026/01/31 | Published: 2026/03/1
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