Background: Social acceptance by peers is a cornerstone of a child's school experience, influencing their academic motivation, well-being, and overall adjustment. Concurrently, inhibitory control—a core executive function enabling the suppression of prepotent responses—is critical for self-regulation and goal-directed behavior. While deficits in inhibitory control are linked to negative social behaviors, the direct relationship between well-developed inhibitory control and the positive outcome of peer social acceptance remains an important area of inquiry. This study aimed to investigate the direct association between inhibitory control ability and social acceptance in a sample of young learners.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed with 168 elementary school students (Mean age = 9.1 years; 49.4% female). Inhibitory control was assessed using performance-based measures, including the Color-Word Interference Test (Stroop) and relevant subtests from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS). Social acceptance was measured using a peer nomination technique, where students identified classmates they most liked to work and play with, yielding a social preference score for each participant.

Results: Descriptive statistics revealed wide variation in both inhibitory control and social acceptance scores. Pearson correlation analysis indicated a significant, positive relationship between inhibitory control and peer acceptance (r = .48, p < .001). Furthermore, multiple regression analysis demonstrated that inhibitory control was a significant unique predictor of social acceptance (β = .51, p < .001), even after controlling for age and gender. Students with higher inhibitory control consistently received more positive peer nominations.

Conclusion: The findings provide strong evidence that inhibitory control is significantly linked to a child's social standing in the classroom. This suggests that the ability to regulate impulses is a fundamental cognitive mechanism that supports the development and maintenance of positive peer relationships. These results highlight the potential for educational interventions targeting executive functions to not only improve academic readiness but also to foster a child's social integration and well-being.

Inhibitory Control, Social Acceptance, Peer Relationships

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