Abstract:
In this study, I explore how temperament and negative emotion knowledge combine to predict children's (N = 337) emotionally regulated and dysregulated responses to problem situations in preschool classrooms. Parent reports of child temperament were obtained, emotion knowledge was directly assessed, and reactions to emotionally arousing problem situations were observed in the classroom. Children with higher levels of effortful control and, separately, higher levels of negative emotion knowledge showed fewer emotionally dysregulated reactions to problem situations. The effects of effortful control were moderated by negative emotion knowledge in predicting emotionally regulated reactions to problem situations such that for children with more advanced negative emotion knowledge, effortful control was negatively related to regulation. On the other hand, a marginal effortful control x emotion knowledge interaction emerged in predicting emotionally dysregulated reactions to problem situations: for children with more advanced negative emotion knowledge, effortful control was also negatively related to emotion dysregulation. Results suggest that social-emotional interventions may best be targeted at children with low levels of effortful control.
