Mastery Motivation and Social Skills in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59471/psicologia2026214Keywords:
mastery motivation, social skills, social persistence, preschool childrenAbstract
The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between mastery motivation and social skills in children aged 3 to 6 years, as well as their associations with age and gender. A quantitative approach was employed using a non-experimental, cross-sectional, and correlational design. The sample consisted of 84 typically developing children living in Argentina. Primary caregivers completed an ad hoc sociodemographic questionnaire, the Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaire (DMQ-18), and the Social Skills scale of the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales. Data were collected through an online survey. The results showed positive associations between mastery motivation and social skills. In particular, Social Persistence with Adults and Social Persistence with Children were associated with different dimensions of social skills. Moreover, Social Persistence with Children remained positively associated with Social Interaction, Social Cooperation, and Social Independence even after controlling for age and gender. Age was positively associated with Social Cooperation and Social Independence, but not with mastery motivation. Regarding gender, girls scored higher on Total Mastery Motivation, Total Persistence, and Cognitive Persistence, whereas no gender differences were found in social skills. In conclusion, this study provides evidence of the relationship between mastery motivation and social skills in Argentine children and highlights the specific role of Social Persistence with Children in social functioning during early childhood. These findings should be interpreted in light of the sociocultural characteristics of the sample and may inform future research and interventions aimed at promoting children’s motivational and social development.
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