Emotionality and self-regulation, threat appraisal, and coping in childrenof divorce

A model of the effects of children's temperament (negative and positive emo tionality, impulsivity and attention focusing) on post-divorce threat appra isals, coping (active and avoidant), and psychological symptoms (depression and conduct problems) was investigated. The study utilized a sample of 223 mothers and children (ages 9 to 12 years) who had experienced divorce with in the last two years. Evidence was found of direct effects of child-report negative emotionality on children's threat perceptions and of child-report positive emotionality and impulsivity on children's coping. Indirect effec ts of negative emotionality on active and avoidant coping through threat ap praisal were found. Direct effects of the temperament variables on symptoms were also found. Cross group analyses indicated that the models were robus t to age differences, but gender differences were found in the relation bet ween negative emotionality and depression. The results of this study indica te that temperament and threat appraisals are important predictors of child ren's post-divorce symptoms, and that temperament is a predictor of childre n's appraisal and coping process.