title: Context-inappropriate anger, emotion knowledge deficits, and negative social experiences in preschool.
abstract: This study examined contextually inappropriate (CI) anger in relation to emotion recognition and situation knowledge, negative social experiences, and externalizing behavior among low-income 4-year-olds attending Head Start (n = 134). Approximately 23% showed anger when presented with positive/neutral slides and videos (valence-incongruent CI anger), whereas 40% of children showed anger when presented with negative slides and videos (valence-congruent CI anger). Valence-incongruent CI anger was associated with lower emotion situation knowledge (for boys only), more self-reported peer rejection and loneliness, and greater negative nominations by teachers and peers. Both valence-incongruent and (for boys only) valence-congruent CI anger were positively associated with externalizing behavior. Overall, valence-incongruent CI anger was more strongly associated with negative child outcomes than valence-congruent CI anger.
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.
authors.forename: Robin L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Locke
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan.
authors.forename: Alison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: E. P. Bradley Hospital/Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seifer
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan.
authors.forename: Justin E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Heinze
mesh_terms: D000786:Anger; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D011203:Poverty; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012919:Social Behavior