title: Emotion regulation strategies in preschool children.
abstract: This study investigated the development of emotion regulation strategies as reflected in the narratives of children between the ages of 3 and 6 years. An experimental procedure based on story completion tasks was devised to elicit the emotion-related narratives of 69 preschool children. Coding of the narratives led to the observation of different emotion regulation strategies: Behavioural strategies, social support, and cognitive reappraisal. Several significant gender and age differences were identified in the use of these strategies. In addition, verbal skills, non-verbal intelligence, and emotion comprehension were found to be associated with use of the observed emotion regulation strategies, although only at specific ages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Nives
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Molina
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D033262:Narration; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: cognitive reappraisal; emotion regulation strategies; preschool years; story completion task