Can we identify emotion over-regulation in infancy? Associations with avoidant attachment, dyadic emotional interaction and temperament

Emotion over-regulation in infancy has seldom been the focus of empirical research. This study analysed the specificities of overregulation when compared with under-regulation (maladaptive) and adaptive regulation by testing its association with attachment, dyadic emotional interaction, and temperament. The sample consisted of 52 low-risk mother–infant dyads. During a home visit, dyadic emotional interaction was assessed in the daily routines and free play of 10-month-old infants. The infant’s emotion regulation was assessed using the Shape Sorter Task, and a temperament questionnaire was completed by the mother.Attachmentwas assessed at 12 or 16 months using the Strange Situation. As hypothesized, (i) emotion overregulation (versus adaptive regulation) was predicted by a lower quality of dyadic emotional interaction and marginally by avoidant attachment; (ii) over-regulation (versus under-regulation) was predicted by avoidant attachment; and (iii) the predictive role of avoidant attachment was substantiated after controlling for another measure of mother–infant interaction. Contrary to expectations, temperament did not distinguish between emotion regulation styles. The link between over-regulation and lower quality of mother–infant emotional interaction and avoidant attachment was demonstrated. There is empirical support to the claim that it is possible to identify emotion overregulation in infancy and that it is a maladaptive style of emotion regulation.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/16524/2004/254S)Neofarmacêutic

Maternal Sensitivity And Latency To Positive Emotion Following Challenge: Pathways Through Effortful Control

The ability to self‐generate positive emotions is an important component of emotion regulation. In this study, we focus on children's latency to express positive emotions following challenging situations and assess whether this ability operates through early maternal sensitivity and children's effortful control. Longitudinal relations between maternal sensitivity, infant negative affect, effortful control, and latency to positive emotion following challenge were examined in 156 children who were 33 months of age. Structural equation models supported the hypothesis that maternal sensitivity during infancy predicted better effortful control and, in turn, shorter latencies to positive emotions following challenge at 33 months. Directions for future research are discussed. RESUMEN La habilidad para autogenerar emociones positivas es un componente importante de la regulación de la emoción. En este estudio, nos enfocamos en el estado latente de los niños para expresar emociones positivas después de situaciones desafiantes y evaluar si esta habilidad opera a través de la temprana sensibilidad maternal y el esforzado control de los niños. Se examinaron las relaciones longitudinales entre la sensibilidad maternal, el efecto negativo del infante, el control esforzado, y el estado latente hacia la emoción positiva después de situaciones desafiantes, en 156 niños de 33 meses. Los modelos de ecuación estructural apoyaron la hipótesis de que la sensibilidad maternal durante la infancia predijo un mejor control esforzado y, a la vuelta, los más cortos estados latentes hacia emociones positivas después de situaciones desafiantes a los 33 meses. Se discuten las directrices para la investigación futura. RÉSUMÉ La capacité à auto‐générer des émotions positives est une composante importante de la régulation des émotions. Dans cette étude nous nous concentrons sur la latence des enfants à exprimer des émotions positives après des situations difficiles et nous évaluons si cette capacité opère à travers une sensibilité maternelle précoce et le contrôle fait avec effort des enfants. Les relations longitudinales entre la sensibilité maternelle, l’affect négatif du nourrisson, le contrôle fait avec effort et la latence et l’émotion positive après des difficultés ont été examinés chez 156 enfants de 33 mois. Des modèles d’équation structurelle ont soutenu l’hypothèse selon laquelle la sensibilité maternelle durant la petite enfance prédisait un meilleur contrôle avec effort et ensuite des latences plus courtes vers des émotions positives après des difficultés à 33 mois. Des directions pour des recherches à venir sont discutées. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Die Fähigkeit, positive Emotionen selbst zu erzeugen, ist ein wichtiger Bestandteil der Emotionsregulation. In dieser Studie fokussieren wir auf die Latenzzeit von Kindern, positive Emotionen nach herausfordernden Situationen zu zeigen, und beurteilen, ob diese Fähigkeit durch frühe mütterliche Feinfühligkeit und bewusste Kontrolle der Kinder beeinflusst wird. Longitudinale Beziehungen zwischen mütterlicher Feinfühligkeit, dem negativen Affekt des Säuglings, bewusster Kontrolle und der Latenzzeit hinichtlich positiver Emotionen nach einer Herausforderung wurden bei 156 Kindern im Alter von 33 Monaten untersucht. Strukturgleichungsmodelle unterstützten die Hypothese, dass die Feinfühligkeit der Mütter während des Säuglingsalters eine bewusstere Kontrolle und wiederum kürzere Latenzzeiten für positive Emotionen nach einer Herausforderung im Alter von 33 Monaten voraussagen konnte. Hinweise für die zukünftige Forschung werden diskutiert. ABSTRACT The ability to self‐generate positive emotions is an important component of emotion regulation. In this study, we focus on children's latency to express positive emotions following challenging situations and assess whether this ability operates through early maternal sensitivity and children's effortful control. 抄録：ポジティブな情緒を自己生成する能力ability to self‐generate positive emotionsは、情緒調節の重要な構成要素である。この研究で、私たちは困難な状況の後に、子どもがポジティブな情緒を表出するまでの潜伏時間に焦点付け、この能力が早期の母親の感受性と子どもの努力したコントロールを通して作用するかどうかを評価する。母親の感受性、乳児のネガティブな感情、努力したコントロール、および困難後のポジティブな情緒表出潜時の縦断的な関係が、156人の33か月児について調査された。構造方程式モデルによって、乳児期の母親の感受性が、33か月時のより良い努力したコントロールと、次に、より短い困難後のポジティブな情緒表出潜時を予測するという仮説が支持された。Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106874/1/imhj21445.pd

Genetic and environmental mechanisms underlying stability and change in problem behaviors at ages 3, 7, 10, and 12.

Maternal ratings on internalizing (INT) and externalizing (EXT) behaviors were collected in a large, population-based longitudinal sample. The numbers of participating twin pairs at ages 3, 7, 10, and 12 were 5,602, 5,115, 2,956, and 1,481, respectively. Stability in both behaviors was accounted for by genetic and shared environmental influences. The genetic contribution to stability (INT: 43%; EXT: 60%) resulted from the fact that a subset of genes expressed at an earlier age was still active at the next time point. A common set of shared environmental factors operated at all ages (INT: 47%; EXT: 34%). The modest contribution of nonshared environmental factors (INT: 10%; EXT: 6%) could not be captured by a simple model. Significant age-specific influences were found for all components, indicating that genetic and environmental factors also contributed to changes in problem behavior. Understanding the origins, nature, and course of psychopathology across childhood is important for clinical purposes as well as for scientific purposes. Of particular clinical importance are the mechanisms underlying continuity. The longer an individual continues along a maladaptive pathway, the more difficult it is to reclaim a normal developmental trajectory (Sroufe, 1990). Further

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia moderates the impact of maternal prenatal anxiety on infant negative affectivity

Version of Record online: 20 Oct 2016

The Development of Infant Emotion Regulation Time Is of the Essence

The ability to effectively regulate emotions is a skill that begins to develop during the first year of life and continues throughout the life span. Effective management of emotions, particularly negative emotions, has important implications for a variety of developmental outcomes. The current chapter focuses on the development of emotion regulation during infancy with the goal of highlighting the dynamic, temporal interrelation of emotion and the behavioral strategies used to regulate emotion. The first section provides an overview of the development of emotion regulation during infancy and the traditional approaches to measuring emotion regulation during this part of the life span. The second section discusses the temporal, moment-to-moment sequencing of emotion and regulatory strategies and provides a detailed discussion of research using novel methodological and statistical approaches to studying these temporal associations. The final section highlights new statistical techniques that could be applied to the study of infant emotion regulation and suggestions for future research directions