{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T16:34:56Z","timestamp":1786725296817,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786665600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Brain Science and Brain-like Intelligence Technology-National Science and Technology Major Project","award":["2021ZD0200500"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021ZD0200500"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behav. Sci.","Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Parental emotional intelligence (EI) has been associated with children\u2019s socio-emotional development, yet less is known about how parental EI is associated with naturally occurring configurations of parenting practices. This cross-sectional study investigated two complementary statistical indirect associations connecting parental EI to preschoolers\u2019 social competence using a sample of 13,398 Chinese families: a variable-centered pathway via positive and negative parenting practices, and a person-centered pathway via distinct parenting profiles. Exploratory latent profile analysis yielded four sample-specific parenting configurations: high-positive\/low-negative (27.49%), near-average (55.19%), low-positive\/elevated-negative (9.16%), and mixed slightly positive\/high-negative (8.16%). Parental EI exhibited a positive concurrent association with children\u2019s overall social competence. Positive and negative parenting statistically accounted for part of this bivariate association at the variable level, while parenting profile membership provided complementary person-centered information about differences in child social competence. Family climate was incorporated as an auxiliary contextual correlate and was not framed as a core predictor, mediator, or moderator within the focal model. Given the cross-sectional single-wave design and caregiver-reported data for all key constructs, all observed patterns should only be interpreted as correlational associations, rather than empirical support for causal mediation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs16081395","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T15:48:36Z","timestamp":1786722516000},"page":"1395","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Parenting Profiles in Chinese Preschool Families: Parental Emotional Intelligence and Children\u2019s Social Competence"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-9220-2676","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Songliang","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun 130024, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6836-5442","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xiaosong","family":"Gai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center of Mental Health Education in Northeast Normal University, Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Science in Universities in Jilin Province, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13606","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-023-40850-x","article-title":"A person-based approach to emotion socialization in toddlerhood: Individual differences in maternal emotion regulation, mental-health and parental sense of competence","volume":"13","author":"Arikan","year":"2023","journal-title":"Scientific Reports"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"240","DOI":"10.1002\/ijop.12111","article-title":"Mediational role of parenting styles in emotional intelligence of parents and aggression among adolescents","volume":"50","author":"Batool","year":"2015","journal-title":"International Journal of Psychology"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.2307\/1129836","article-title":"The determinants of parenting: A process model","volume":"55","author":"Belsky","year":"1984","journal-title":"Child Development"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"780","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.91.4.780","article-title":"Relating emotional abilities to social functioning: A comparison of self-report and performance measures of emotional intelligence","volume":"91","author":"Brackett","year":"2006","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"371","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.psych.53.100901.135233","article-title":"Socioeconomic status and child development","volume":"53","author":"Bradley","year":"2002","journal-title":"Annual Review of Psychology"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3054","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-021-01617-7","article-title":"Ability emotional intelligence in parents and their offspring","volume":"42","author":"Cabello","year":"2023","journal-title":"Current Psychology"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"631","DOI":"10.1080\/10409280802541973","article-title":"Parenting style as a context for emotion socialization","volume":"20","author":"Chan","year":"2009","journal-title":"Early Education & Development"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1016\/S0193-3973(99)00037-4","article-title":"The parenting of immigrant Chinese and European American mothers","volume":"21","author":"Chao","year":"2000","journal-title":"Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.psych.58.110405.085551","article-title":"An interactionist perspective on the socioeconomic context of human development","volume":"58","author":"Conger","year":"2007","journal-title":"Annual Review of Psychology"},{"key":"ref_10","unstructured":"Cummings, E. M., and Davies, P. T. (1994). Marital conflict and children: An emotional security perspective, Guilford Press."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"487","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.113.3.487","article-title":"Parenting style as context: An integrative model","volume":"113","author":"Darling","year":"1993","journal-title":"Psychological Bulletin"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"238","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-8624.00533","article-title":"Preschool emotional competence: Pathway to social competence?","volume":"74","author":"Denham","year":"2003","journal-title":"Child Development"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"241","DOI":"10.1207\/s15327965pli0904_1","article-title":"Parental socialization of emotion","volume":"9","author":"Eisenberg","year":"1998","journal-title":"Psychological Inquiry"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1055","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-8624.2005.00897.x","article-title":"Relations among positive parenting, children\u2019s effortful control, and externalizing problems: A three-wave longitudinal study","volume":"76","author":"Eisenberg","year":"2005","journal-title":"Child Development"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.132.1.33","article-title":"Gender differences in temperament: A meta-analysis","volume":"132","author":"Hyde","year":"2006","journal-title":"Psychological Bulletin"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102252","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cpr.2023.102252","article-title":"Emotion socialization parenting interventions targeting emotional competence in young children: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","volume":"100","author":"Andrews","year":"2023","journal-title":"Clinical Psychology Review"},{"key":"ref_17","first-page":"198","article-title":"Preliminary evaluation of the Chinese versions of FACES-II and the family environment scale: A comparison between normal families and families of patients with schizophrenia","volume":"5","author":"Fei","year":"1991","journal-title":"Chinese Mental Health Journal"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"410","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1751-9004.2011.00362.x","article-title":"Emotion socialization in cross-cultural perspective","volume":"5","author":"Friedlmeier","year":"2011","journal-title":"Social and Personality Psychology Compass"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"259","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-9507.2007.00424.x","article-title":"Mother-child conversations about emotions: Linkages to child aggression and prosocial behavior","volume":"17","author":"Garner","year":"2008","journal-title":"Social Development"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.1207\/s15566935eed1201_3","article-title":"Emotional competence, emotion socialization, and young children\u2019s peer-related social competence","volume":"12","author":"Garner","year":"2001","journal-title":"Early Education & Development"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-9507.00150","article-title":"Affective social competence","volume":"10","author":"Halberstadt","year":"2001","journal-title":"Social Development"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104016","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brat.2021.104016","article-title":"A randomized controlled trial of an emotion socialization parenting program and its impact on parenting, children\u2019s behavior and parent and child stress cortisol: Tuning in to Toddlers","volume":"149","author":"Havighurst","year":"2022","journal-title":"Behaviour Research and Therapy"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1342","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-7610.2010.02303.x","article-title":"Tuning in to Kids: Improving emotion socialization practices in parents of preschool children: Findings from a community trial","volume":"51","author":"Havighurst","year":"2010","journal-title":"Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2467","DOI":"10.1007\/s10826-022-02289-y","article-title":"Person-centered maternal emotion socialization and child temperament: Relations to children\u2019s emotion regulation and anxiety and depressive symptoms","volume":"31","author":"Howe","year":"2022","journal-title":"Journal of Child and Family Studies"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"King, G. L., Macdonald, J. A., Greenwood, C. J., Kehoe, C., Dunsmore, J. C., Havighurst, S. S., Youssef, G. J., Berkowitz, T. S., and Westrupp, E. M. (2023). Profiles of parents\u2019 emotion socialization within a multinational sample of parents. Frontiers in Psychology, 14.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1161418"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cpr.2017.10.006","article-title":"The sociocultural context of emotion socialization in African American families","volume":"59","author":"Labella","year":"2018","journal-title":"Clinical Psychology Review"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"L\u00f3pez-Mart\u00ednez, P., Montero-Montero, D., Moreno-Ruiz, D., and Mart\u00ednez-Ferrer, B. (2019). The role of parental communication and emotional intelligence in child-to-parent violence. Behavioral Sciences, 9, (12).","DOI":"10.3390\/bs9120148"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"566","DOI":"10.1037\/dev0000808","article-title":"The role of dynamic, dyadic parent-child processes in parental socialization of emotion","volume":"56","author":"Lunkenheimer","year":"2020","journal-title":"Developmental Psychology"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"540","DOI":"10.1037\/a0012746","article-title":"New paradigms for assessing emotional intelligence: Theory and data","volume":"8","author":"MacCann","year":"2008","journal-title":"Emotion"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1037\/1082-989X.12.1.23","article-title":"Bias in cross-sectional analyses of longitudinal mediation","volume":"12","author":"Maxwell","year":"2007","journal-title":"Psychological Methods"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"290","DOI":"10.1177\/1754073916639667","article-title":"The ability model of emotional intelligence: Principles and updates","volume":"8","author":"Mayer","year":"2016","journal-title":"Emotion Review"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"345","DOI":"10.1300\/J002v34n03_07","article-title":"Children\u2019s emotional regulation and social competence in middle childhood: The role of maternal and paternal interactive style","volume":"34","author":"McDowell","year":"2002","journal-title":"Marriage & Family Review"},{"key":"ref_33","first-page":"1106","article-title":"Children\u2019s maternal support-seeking: Relations to maternal emotion socialization responses and children\u2019s emotion management","volume":"25","author":"Zeman","year":"2016","journal-title":"Journal of Child and Family Studies"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1111\/cdep.12238","article-title":"The impact of parenting on emotion regulation during childhood and adolescence","volume":"11","author":"Morris","year":"2017","journal-title":"Child Development Perspectives"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"361","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-9507.2007.00389.x","article-title":"The role of the family context in the development of emotion regulation","volume":"16","author":"Morris","year":"2007","journal-title":"Social Development"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"535","DOI":"10.1080\/10705510701575396","article-title":"Deciding on the number of classes in latent class analysis and growth mixture modeling: A Monte Carlo simulation study","volume":"14","author":"Nylund","year":"2007","journal-title":"Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1300\/J024v11n01_02","article-title":"Family assessment and intervention: The circumplex model of family systems","volume":"11","author":"Olson","year":"1989","journal-title":"Child & Youth Services"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1545-5300.1998.00095.x","article-title":"Comparison of schizophrenic patients\u2019 families and normal families in China, using Chinese versions of FACES-II and the Family Environment Scales","volume":"37","author":"Phillips","year":"1998","journal-title":"Family Process"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"879","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-9010.88.5.879","article-title":"Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies","volume":"88","author":"Podsakoff","year":"2003","journal-title":"Journal of Applied Psychology"},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-orgpsych-110721-040030","article-title":"Common method bias: It\u2019s bad, it\u2019s complex, it\u2019s widespread, and it\u2019s not easy to fix","volume":"11","author":"Podsakoff","year":"2024","journal-title":"Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior"},{"key":"ref_41","first-page":"58","article-title":"Parents\u2019 emotional intelligence and their children\u2019s mental health: A systematic review","volume":"5","author":"Santamarina","year":"2021","journal-title":"Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Disorders"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"98","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.132.1.98","article-title":"A review of sex differences in peer relationship processes: Potential trade-offs for the emotional and behavioral development of girls and boys","volume":"132","author":"Rose","year":"2006","journal-title":"Psychological Bulletin"},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.2190\/DUGG-P24E-52WK-6CDG","article-title":"Emotional intelligence","volume":"9","author":"Salovey","year":"1990","journal-title":"Imagination, Cognition and Personality"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"S\u00e1nchez-N\u00fa\u00f1ez, M. T., Garc\u00eda-Rubio, N., Fern\u00e1ndez-Berrocal, P., and Latorre, J. M. (2020). Emotional intelligence and mental health in the family: The influence of emotional intelligence perceived by parents and children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, (17).","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17176255"},{"key":"ref_45","first-page":"30","article-title":"The relationships among family SES, intelligence, intrinsic motivation and creativity","volume":"23","author":"Shi","year":"2007","journal-title":"Psychological Development and Education"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"310","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-9507.2007.00386.x","article-title":"Family emotional processes and adolescents\u2019 adjustment","volume":"16","author":"Stocker","year":"2007","journal-title":"Social Development"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"\u0218i\u021boiu, A., and P\u00e2ni\u0219oar\u0103, G. (2023). The emotional intelligence of today\u2019s parents: Influences on parenting style and parental competence. Frontiers in Public Health, 11.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1120994"},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"822","DOI":"10.1037\/a0032894","article-title":"The relations of ego-resiliency and emotion socialization to the development of empathy and prosocial behavior across early childhood","volume":"13","author":"Taylor","year":"2013","journal-title":"Emotion"},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101259","DOI":"10.1016\/j.appdev.2021.101259","article-title":"Mothers\u2019 emotion socialization profiles and relation to adolescent socio-emotional functioning in China and India","volume":"73","author":"Trevethan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology"},{"key":"ref_50","unstructured":"Wang, S. (2020). The development, functions, influencing factors and promotion of cool and hot self-regulation among 3\u20135-year-old preschool children. [Doctoral dissertation, Northeast Normal University]. CNKI."},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"243","DOI":"10.1016\/S1048-9843(02)00099-1","article-title":"The effects of leader and follower emotional intelligence on performance and attitude: An exploratory study","volume":"13","author":"Wong","year":"2002","journal-title":"The Leadership Quarterly"},{"key":"ref_52","unstructured":"Zhuang, Y. Y. (2019). The influence of teacher-child interaction quality on preschoolers\u2019 social development across varying family socioeconomic status. [Master\u2019s thesis, Northeast Normal University]. Available online: https:\/\/kns.cnki.net\/kcms2\/article\/abstract?v=zrrIaO_S-ztcWUIlcBiQdTGOETNIfgXSqE5WRrzSaLD27G744yUVmkTLfwkOuAjf3---zDvefORpf9n03p-DhqTILZm_P9SoMDToauXkKWHuc66i_NRVUXiaouO3G6aOxEf-KBRTa0ovoaGGbSLKsiMC-i9Df89zHxoZVdqZfAHBpOmTIXVQyg==&uniplatform=NZKPT&language=CHS."}],"container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-328X\/16\/8\/1395\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T15:58:13Z","timestamp":1786723093000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-328X\/16\/8\/1395"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]]},"references-count":52,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]}},"alternative-id":["bs16081395"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/bs16081395","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-328X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-328X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]]}}}