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. 2017 Jan;41(1):30-40.
doi: 10.1177/0165025415608519. Epub 2015 Oct 27.

Concurrent and longitudinal associations of peers' acceptance with emotion and effortful control in kindergarten

Maciel M Hernández  1 , Nancy Eisenberg  1 , Carlos Valiente  2 , Anjolii Diaz  2 , Sarah K VanSchyndel  1 , Rebecca H Berger  2 , Nathan Terrell  2 , Kassondra M Silva  2 , Tracy L Spinrad  2 , Jody Southworth  2
Affiliations

Concurrent and longitudinal associations of peers' acceptance with emotion and effortful control in kindergarten

Maciel M Hernández et al. Int J Behav Dev. 2017 Jan.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to evaluate bidirectional associations between peer acceptance and both emotion and effortful control during kindergarten (N = 301). In both the fall and spring semesters, we obtained peer nominations of acceptance, measures of positive and negative emotion based on naturalistic observations in school (i.e., classroom, lunch/recess), and observers' reports of effortful control (i.e., inhibitory control, attention focusing) and emotions (i.e., positive, negative). In structural equation panel models, peer acceptance in fall predicted higher effortful control in spring. Effortful control in fall did not predict peer acceptance in spring. Negative emotion predicted lower peer acceptance across time for girls but not for boys. Peer acceptance did not predict negative or positive emotion over time. In addition, we tested interactions between positive or negative emotion and effortful control predicting peer acceptance. Positive emotion predicted higher peer acceptance for children low in effortful control.

Keywords: effortful control; kindergarten; negative emotion; peer relationships; positive emotion.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cross-lagged panel model of peer acceptance (peer nominations) and effortful control (observers’ reports) in kindergarten. Covariates: age, SES, ethnic minority status, and sex. Coefficients are standardized. Spring peer acceptance R2 = .29***; Spring effortful control R2 = .41***. MLR χ2 (19) = 53.33, p < .001, CFI = .96, RMSEA < .08, 90% CI [.05, .10]. Nonsignificant paths are dashed. 90% confidence intervals are shown below parameter estimates. *p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cross-lagged panel model of peer acceptance (peer nominations), positive emotion (observers’ reports and naturalistic observations), and effortful control (observers’ reports) in kindergarten. Covariates: age, SES, ethnic minority status, and sex. Coefficients are unstandardized. Nonsignificant paths are dashed. 90% confidence intervals are shown below parameter estimates. *p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Positive emotion in the fall significantly predicted higher peer acceptance in the spring (b = .12, p = .05, 90% CI [.02, .20]) for children low in effortful control (one standard deviation below the mean) measured in the fall.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Cross-lagged panel model of peer acceptance (peer nominations) and negative emotion (observers’ reports and naturalistic observations) for the multiple group analysis comparing boys and girls in kindergarten. Standardized coefficients are presented for boys (left of diagonal) and girls (right of diagonal). Spring peer acceptance R2 = .33*** (boys), .27*** (girls); Spring negative emotion R2 = .57*** (boys), .61*** (girls). MLR χ2 (83) = 119.71, p < .01, CFI = .95, RMSEA < .06, 90% CI [.03, .08]. Covariates: age, SES, and ethnic minority status. Nonsignificant paths are dashed. 90% confidence intervals are shown below parameter estimates. *p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.
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