Children’s emotion regulation, behavior regulation, and mathematics achievement: A longitudinal mediation model

ABSTRACT

The present study investigated direct as well as indirect relations between children’s emotion regulation (anger- and avoidant-oriented strategies), behavior regulation, and mathematics achievement in a longitudinal study during the transition from primary to secondary school in Germany. Participants were 76 primary school students attending grade four at Time 1, of whom 51 participated again as secondary school students attending grade five at Time 2, as well as children’s mothers and teachers. Anger- and avoidant-oriented emotion regulation strategies at Time 1 were negatively associated to behavior regulation at Time 2. Behavior regulation at Time 2 was positively related to mathematics achievement at Time 2. There were no direct relations between emotion regulation (anger- and avoidant-oriented strategies) at Time 1 and mathematics achievement at Time 2. However, we found significant indirect negative effects between emotion regulation (anger- and avoidant-oriented strategies) at Time 1 and mathematics achievement at Time 2 via behavior regulation at Time 1. Thus, anger- and avoidant-oriented emotion regulation at Time 1 indirectly affected mathematics achievement negatively at Time 2 via behavior regulation at Time 2. This study confirms the complex structure of self-regulatory processes and underlines the importance of specific emotion regulation strategies for mathematics achievement.

KEYWORDS:

• Behavior regulation
• emotion regulation
• longitudinal mediation model
• mathematics achievement
• primary and secondary school

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [MW], upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The study was financed by a grant from the German Research Foundation [DFG GZ, TR 169/14-3] as part of the project “Developmental conditions of intentionality and its limits: Self-regulation in school-aged children” (PI: Gisela Trommsdorff).

Notes on contributors

Mirjam Weis

Mirjam Weis is a Postdoctoral Psychology Researcher and National Project Manager of PISA at the Technical University of Munich, Germany. Her research interests are in self-regulation and school achievement.

Roberto Andres Cardona

Roberto Andres Cardona completed his Master in Research on Teaching and Learning at the Technical University of Munich, Germany. He is now at the EAFIT University, Department of Languages, Colombia.

Gisela Trommsdorff

Gisela Trommsdorff is Professor Emeritus of Developmental and Cross-Cultural Psychology at the University of Konstanz, Germany. She is an associate editor and advisory board member of numerous scientific journals.