Individual Differences in Emotion and Emotion Regulation Lecture Outline Emotion Regulation Definition Normative Development Individual Differences in Emotion and Emotion Regulation Temperament Temperament Dimensions Measurement of Temperament Temperament and Later Adjustment

Emotion Regulation

Normative Development of ER Role of Caregivers Parents help infants and young children regulate negative emotions Over time, infants and young children gradually become better able to regulate emotions independently

Use of cognitive strategies to regulate negative emotions increases with age Ex: mental distraction; focus on positive aspects of a situation Use of more effective/appropriate strategies to regulate emotions increases with age

Individual Differences in Emotion and ER Temperament: Biologically based individual differences in emotional characteristics and other behaviors Show consistency across situations Relatively stable over time

Temperament Dimensions: Fearful distress/Behavioral Inhibition Irritable distress Attention span/persistence Activity level Positive affect

Measurement of Temperament Parent report Structured Observation Psychophysiological Methods

Temperament and Later Adjustment “Difficult” temperament may include: High irritable distress or fearful distress Low attention span/persistence High activity level Low positive affect

Difficult temperament in infancy/preschool period is correlated with adjustment problems later in life (adolescence, adulthood)

Goodness-of-Fit Degree to which a child’s temperament is compatible with the expectations of the social environment (including the family environment) Poor goodness-of-fit likely to result in adjustment problems for children