THE RELATIONS OF EMOTIONALITY AND REGULATION TO CHILDRENS ANGER-RELATED REACTIONS

The purpose of this study was to examine the relations of emotionality (intensity and negative emotion) and regulation (attentional control, mode of coping) to preschoolers' naturally occurring anger reactions. School personnel's ratings of 4-6-year-olds' constructive coping and attentional control were associated with boys' constructive anger reac tions whereas their ratings of acting out versus avoidant coping, emot ional intensity, and anger intensity generally were correlated with lo w levels of constructive reactions to anger. Mothers' reports of child ren's constructive Coping and low emotional intensity were associated with children's use of nonabusive language to deal with anger, whereas aggressive coping and negative emotionality were associated with esca pe behavior when angered. The findings are consistent with the conclus ion that individual differences in emotionality and regulatory skills are associated with children's constructive versus nonconstructive ang er reactions.