Resilience among at-risk Hispanic American preschool children

This study combines cognitive (i.e., intelligence), psychosocial (i.e., inhibition, activity level, negative emotionality, emotion regulation, autonomy), and cultural-linguistic factors (i.e., level of acculturation and bilingualism) to determine patterns of resilience and vulnerability among 207 economically disadvantaged Hispanic American preschool children, from 50 early childhood classrooms, as gauged by their social competence during peer play. Person-oriented analysis yielded six distinct profiles, two profiles of which were resilient and one identified as vulnerable. Results of this study revealed within-group differences in resilience among these children and the significant role bilingualism and maintenance of the home language play in their social-emotional development.