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Display rules for anger and aggression in school-age children
M K Underwood1, J D Coie, C R Herbsman
1Department of Psychology, Duke University.
Child Development
|April 1, 1992
Summary
Children use fewer anger display rules with teachers than peers, with masking increasing with age. Aggressive children showed a trend toward invoking fewer anger display rules. Social context significantly influences children's anger expression.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Children's understanding and use of social norms regarding emotional expression, specifically anger, is crucial for social adjustment.
- Previous research has explored display rules for emotions, but the specific nuances for anger expression in children across different social contexts require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the development of display rules for anger in children.
- To investigate the relationship between the use of anger display rules and peer-rated aggressiveness.
- To determine how social context (teachers vs. peers) influences children's reported anger expression.
Main Methods:
- Utilized hypothetical responses from third, fifth, and seventh graders to anger-provoking video vignettes.
- Assessed children's reported use of display rules for anger concerning facial expressions and actions.
- Correlated reported display rule use with peer-rated measures of aggressiveness.
Main Results:
- Children reported using display rules for anger more frequently with teachers than with peers.
- The masking of anger facial expressions increased with age, but only in interactions with teachers.
- Girls reported masking anger more than boys, and aggressive children tended to invoke fewer anger display rules.
Conclusions:
- The application of anger display rules in children is complex, influenced by age, gender, and the specific social audience.
- Children's decisions to express anger genuinely are significantly moderated by the social context, with greater openness reported with peers than teachers.