title: Toddler Emotion Regulation with Mothers and Fathers: Temporal Associations Between Negative Affect and Behavioral Strategies.
abstract: The present study investigated temporal associations between putative emotion regulation strategies and negative affect in 20-month-old toddlers. Toddlers' parent-focused, self-distraction, and toy-focused strategies, as well as negative affect, were rated on a second-by-second basis during laboratory parent-toddler interactions. Longitudinal mixed-effects models were conducted to determine the degree to which behavioral strategy use predicts subsequent negative affect and negative affect predicts subsequent strategy use. Results with mother-toddler and father-toddler dyads indicated that parent-focused strategies with an unresponsive parent were followed by increases in negative affect, whereas toy-focused strategies were followed by decreases in negative affect. Results also indicated that toddler negative affect serves to regulate behavioral strategy use within both parent contexts.
authors.affiliation: University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd. #113, Coral Gables, FL 33146, 305-284-3719.
authors.forename: Naomi V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Ekas
authors.forename: Julia M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Braungart-Rieker
authors.forename: Diane M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lickenbrock
authors.forename: Shannon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Zentall
authors.forename: Scott M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Maxwell