Title: The Effects of Maternal Emotion Expression, Temperament and Self-Esteem on Emotion Regulation among Children
Abstract: The purpose of this study examined the path model of maternal emotional expression, temperament and self-esteem on emotion regulation among children. The subjects were 487 5th and 6th graders. Data was gathered through questionnaires reported by children and their mothers and analyzed by structural equation modeling. The results showed that children's 'activity level' temperament and maternal negative emotional expression directly affected maladaptive emotion regulation. Children's 'emotionality' temperament and maternal positive emotional expression directly affected adaptive emotion regulation. Children's 'approach-flexibility' temperament and self-esteem directly affected both maladaptive and adaptive emotion regulation. Maternal emotional expression and children's self-esteem mediated between children's temperament and emotion regulation. Additionally, the most important variable predicting children's maladaptive emotion regulation was the children's 'activity level' temperament, and the most important variable for adaptive emotion regulation was the children's 'emotionality' temperament.