Original scientific paper
Self-Regulation, Emotion Understanding and Aggressive Behaviour in Preschool Boys
Andreja Brajša-Žganec
; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar
Ivana Hanzec
; Centre for Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb
Abstract
Previous research has shown that children with greater self-regulation exhibit less aggressive behaviour in their everyday interactions with peers. Boys are usually more aggressive than girls, have lower self-regulation and understand primary emotions less. However, those who understand emotions better behave more prosocially. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the relationship of self-regulation and emotion understanding with regard to aggressive behaviour in preschool boys. The participants in this study included 241 boys aged 3 to 7, their parents (both mothers and fathers) and preschool teachers. Self-regulation was measured by parental estimations of inhibitory control and attentional focusing. Aggressive behaviour was measured by teachers' estimations, while emotion understanding was assessed in individual interviews with the boys. The results showed that the boys who recognized and described primary emotions better and had high self-regulation showed less aggressive behaviour, while those who understood emotions less and had low self-regulation behaved more aggressively. The results were discussed in the light of importance of strengthening self-regulation and emotion understanding in preschool boys as a way of developing their social and emotional competence.
Keywords
aggressive behaviour; emotion understanding; preschool boys; self-regulation
Hrčak ID:
137683
URI
Publication date:
25.2.2015.
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