Miles Gilliom,
Daniel S. Shaw, Joy E. Beck, Michael A. Schonberg, JoElla
L. Lukon, and Emily B. Winslow
Abstract
Emotion
regulation strategies observed during an age-3½ frustration task were examined
in relation to (1) angry affect during the frustration task, (2) child and
maternal characteristics at age 1½, and (3) indices of self-control at age 6 in
a sample of low-income boys (Ns varied between 189 and 310, depending on
the assessment). Shifting attention away from sources of frustration and
seeking information about situational constraints were associated with decreased
anger. Secure attachment and positive maternal control correlated positively
with effective regulatory strategy use. Individual differences in strategy use
predicted self-control at school entry, but in specific rather than general
ways: Reliance on attention shifting strategies presaged low externalizing
problems and high cooperation; reliance on information gathering predicted high
assertiveness.