Adaptation and validation of the Chinese inventory of children’s socioemotional competence (CICSEC-N) among 2-year-old Chinese nursery children

Research Findings: Few measures have been developed to assess young children’s socioemotional competence in non-western cultures. The present study adapted and validated the Chinese Inventory of Children’s Socioemotional Competence (CICSEC-N)–an indigenously developed and culturally relevant measure of socioemotional competence of Chinese kindergarten children aged 3 to 6 years–so that it could be used with nursery children aged 2 years. To establish content, construct, and convergent validities of the measure, the original items were first adapted by researchers and practitioners to align with the developmental status of 2-year-olds. The adapted measure was then tested using exploratory structural equation modeling based on cross-sectional questionnaire data provided by the parents and teachers of 300 nursery children (mean age = 28.8 months) from Hong Kong, China. Results confirmed a 24-item, four-factor structure. Moreover, higher socioemotional competence, indicated by the four factors, was associated positively with school liking and classroom engagement and negatively with behavioral problems at school. Practice or Policy: The CICSEC-N provided researchers and practitioners with a reliable, valid, and cost-effective measure of Chinese young children’s socioemotional competence, facilitating the assessment of child adjustment and the evaluation of social and emotional learning programs in nurseries. Copyright © 2026 The Author(s).