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Updated: Sep 23, 2026

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Mutual emotion regulation and the stability of conduct problems between preschool and early school age
Pamela M Cole1, Laureen O Teti, Carolyn Zahn-Waxler
1Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA.
Abstract:
Mutual regulation of anger plays a role in both healthy adjustment and mental health problems. This study of 85 preschooler boys and girls examined mother-preschooler anger regulation during a frustration in relation to the child's preschool and school age problem status. Less mutual positive emotion, more mutual anger, and more emotional mismatches than other dyads characterized dyads with a stable conduct problem child. Maternal emotion predicted school age conduct problems, particularly for boys. Maternal emotion also predicted stability versus improvement of symptoms. The emotional dynamics of mother-preschooler angry exchanges may redirect girls' conduct problems and may contribute to the stability of boys' conduct problems.
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