The indirect link of emotion regulation in the associations between lability/negativity, depressed affect, and aggression in preschool children
Acta Psychologica, vol.268, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 268
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107340
- Journal Name: Acta Psychologica
- Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Periodicals Index Online, EMBASE, Linguistic Bibliography, MEDLINE, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Psycinfo, Directory of Open Access Journals, MLA International Bibliography, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Keywords: Depressed affect, Early childhood, Emotion regulation, Lability/negativity, Physical and relational aggression
- Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
This study examined how preschool children's ability to regulate emotions is linked to the relationship between their emotion lability/negativity, depressed affect, as well as physical and relational aggression. The data were collected from 188 preschoolers enrolled in public schools in a central city of Türkiye. The sample primarily included children of Turkish ethnic background. Using the Children's Emotion Regulation Checklist and the Preschool Children's Prosocial Behaviors Teacher Form, findings revealed that higher levels of emotion lability/negativity and depressed affect were directly associated with higher physical aggression. Emotion regulation exerted contrasting relationships between aggression types: it was strongly linked to reduced physical aggression but moderately associated with increased relational aggression. This suggests better emotion regulation may reduce physical aggression but might contribute to relational aggression. Moreover, emotion regulation was indirectly associated with the relationship between lability/negativity and relational aggression, but not with physical aggression. Finally, emotion regulation is associated with 69.1% of the variance in physical aggression and 28.2% of the variance in relational aggression highlighting, its significant impact on understanding these behaviors.