title: Concurrent and longitudinal associations of peers' acceptance with emotion and effortful control in kindergarten.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to evaluate bidirectional associations between peer acceptance and both emotion and effortful control during kindergarten (N= 301). In both the fall and spring semesters, we obtained peer nominations of acceptance, measures of positive and negative emotion based on naturalistic observations in school (i.e., classroom, lunch/recess), and observers' reports of effortful control (i.e., inhibitory control, attention focusing) and emotions (i.e., positive, negative). In structural equation panel models, peer acceptance in fall predicted higher effortful control in spring. Effortful control in fall did not predict peer acceptance in spring. Negative emotion predicted lower peer acceptance across time for girls but not for boys. Peer acceptance did not predict negative or positive emotion over time. In addition, we tested interactions between positive or negative emotion and effortful control predicting peer acceptance. Positive emotion predicted higher peer acceptance for children low in effortful control.
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: T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University.
authors.forename: Anjolii
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diaz
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: Rebecca H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Berger
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: Kassondra M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Silva
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: Jody
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Southworth
keywords: effortful control; kindergarten; negative emotion; peer relationships; positive emotion