Emotion matching task: Preliminary validation in Croatian sample

ABSTRACT The changed sentence: The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the Emotion Matching Task (EMT) in a sample of Croatian preschool children. The Croatian version of the EMT was applied to 198 children (52% female), together with measures of verbal ability and social competence. The internal structure of the test, as well as its reliability, was confirmed. Simultaneous regression analysis showed that children with higher verbal abilities, older children, and girls had higher results on the EMT. The results of a hierarchical regression analysis related to the explanation of the variance of social competence with regard to age, sex, verbal ability, and EMT variables and showed that only the contribution of sex was significant. In conclusion, the EMT showed good reliability and adequate construct validity, while criterion validity was not confirmed. However, further research is needed using broader samples and other behavioural outcomes measures.