Emotional Intelligence, Not Just ‘Executive Function,’ Influences A Child’s Ability To Pay Attention

Medical Daily – Susan Scutti

“Why do some kindergartners find it easy to focus and learn while others struggle? Young children with a keener understanding of emotion suffer fewer attention problems than children who possess less emotional intelligence, a new German study reveals. Children with a more limited emotional vocabulary “often seem distracted,” Dr. Maria von Salisch, a professor of developmental psychology at Leuphana University, stated in a press release. “Their attention is occupied by the explanation of their own confusing emotional states, the negative emotions of their fellow human beings, and the regulation of their own resulting emotions.””(more)