title: Emotional expression in school context, social relationships, and academic adjustment in kindergarten.
abstract: This study evaluated direct relations of both kindergarteners' (N = 301) naturalistically observed emotion in 2 different school contexts and early kindergarten verbal competence to academic adjustment (i.e., standardized measures of academic achievement, teacher-reported academic skills, teacher-reported and observed school engagement) and if these relations were mediated by teacher-reported conflict with students and by peer acceptance. When controlling for verbal competence, positive emotions expressed in the classroom context positively directly predicted academic skills, whereas positive emotions expressed outside class (lunch/recess) negatively predicted academic skills. Negative emotions observed in the classroom context and during lunch/recess negatively predicted academic achievement. Positive emotions observed in both contexts indirectly predicted higher school engagement through its positive relation to peer acceptance; positive emotions expressed in lunch and recess indirectly predicted higher school engagement via lower teacher-student conflict. Negative emotions observed in both contexts also indirectly predicted lower school engagement via higher teacher-student conflict. Furthermore, verbal competence indirectly predicted higher academic adjustment via lower teacher-student conflict. Moreover, verbal competence moderated the association between peer acceptance (but not teacher-student conflict) and academic adjustment. Because verbal competence moderated the associations from peer competence, positive emotions in both contexts indirectly predicted higher academic adjustment via higher peer acceptance primarily for children with low, but not high, initial verbal competence. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Arizona State University.
authors.forename: Maciel M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Arizona State University.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eisenberg
authors.affiliation: T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Valiente
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Arizona State University.
authors.forename: Sarah K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: VanSchyndel
authors.affiliation: T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University.
authors.forename: Tracy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Spinrad
authors.affiliation: T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University.
authors.forename: Kassondra M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University.
authors.forename: Rebecca H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.affiliation: T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University.
authors.forename: Anjolii
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.affiliation: T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Terrell
authors.affiliation: T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University.
authors.forename: Marilyn S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University.
authors.forename: Jody
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Southworth
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012574:Schools; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*