Troubles externalisés du comportement et cognition sociale : impact d’un entrainement en cognition sociale sur les troubles externalisés du comportement et l’(in)adaptation sociale chez le jeune enfant

Externalizing behavior problems (EB) are characterized by agitation, impulsivity, aggression, opposition or disobedience. In preschoolers, those problems are associated with several risk factors, including deficit in social cognition. Indeed, some studies implied that more understanding of mental states and social problem solving are unprofitable, more EB and social maladjustment are found. The main purpose of this thesis is to test the causal link between social cognition and EB or social maladjustment in preschoolers with EB. Firstly, this thesis defines EB as well as Theory of Mind and Social Information Processing. Then, social adjustment and emotional regulation will be presented, and their relations with social cognition in preschoolers. Furthermore, after the presentation of training in social cognition existing in the literature, the effect of one shot and middle term training in social cognition are tested with typically developing and preschoolers with EB. Across nuanced results, we find that a training of the understanding of mental states and of social problem solving allow enhancing social cognition competences, but also a decreasing EB and social maladjustment. The last part of this thesis will be a general discussion about our research results and about the causal link between social cognition and EB or social (mal)adjustment. We will also discuss the limits and future prospects of this research.