Comparison of social skill levels and behavior problems of pre-school children who live in extended and nuclear families

The aim of this study is to understand whether pre-school children's social skill levels and behavior problems, which are evaluated by teachers, differ according to their living status whether they live in large or nuclear families. In this context, 240 students and 21 teachers who were randomly selected from 6 different schools in Beykoz, Kemerburgaz, Üsküdar and Ümraniye in districts of Istanbul to participate in this study. Data were collected using the Social Skills Assessment Questionnaire (4-6 years), "Pre-school Behavioral Problems Screening Scale" and the socio-demographic data form prepared by the researcher. SPSS for Windows 25.0 program was used for data analysis. T statistical test was used to determine the differences between the two groups in the comparison of the quantitative data, and Pearson Correlation test was used to test the difference between dependent and independent variables. Frequence test was used to analyze information which was obtained from socio-demographic data form. According to the general results of the study, pre-school children who are living in large families have high social skill levels compared to the preschool children who are living in nuclear families, but there was an increase in the behavioral problems of children who lived in large families. The scores obtained from the large and nuclear family life variables and the sub-dimensions of the Social Skills Assessment Scale were found to be significantly related to the interpersonal skills and verbal description skills sub-dimensions. A significant relationship was found between being aggressive or quarrelsome and being anxious or tearful in comparison according to living with large or nucklear families and the sub-dimensions of the Preschool Behavioral Problems Screening Scale. Key Words: Preschool, extended family, nuclear family, social skills, behavior problems.