The purpose of this study was to examine the relations of emotionality (intensity and negative emotion) and regulation (attentional control, mode of coping) to preschoolers' naturally occurring anger reactions. School personnel's ratings of 4-6-year-olds' constructive coping and attentional control were associated with boys' constructive anger reactions whereas their ratings of acting out versus avoidant coping, emotional intensity, and anger intensity generally were correlated with low levels of constructive reactions to anger. Mothers' reports of children's constructive coping and low emotional intensity were associated with children's use of nonabusive language to deal with anger, whereas aggressive coping and negative emotionality were associated with escape behavior when angered. The findings are consistent with the conclusion that individual differences in emotionality and regulatory skills are associated with children's constructive versus nonconstructive anger reactions.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relations of emotionality (intensity and negative emotion) and regulation (attentional control, mode of coping) to preschoolers' naturally occurring anger reactions. School personnel's ratings of 4-6-year-olds' constructive coping and attentional control were associated with boys' constructive anger reactions whereas their ratings of acting out versus avoidant coping, emotional intensity, and anger intensity generally were correlated with low levels of constructive reactions to anger. Mothers' reports of children's constructive coping and low emotional intensity were associated with children's use of nonabusive language to deal with anger, whereas aggressive coping and negative emotionality were associated with escape behavior when angered. The findings are consistent with the conclusion that individual differences in emotionality and regulatory skills are associated with children's constructive versus nonconstructive anger reactions.

Preschoolers were interviewed regarding their understanding of others 1 spontaneous emotional reactions. From 62 preschoolers in 3 age groups (3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds), 601 emotional reactions and 490 appraisals were obtained. The accuracy of children's appraisals (e.g., correspondence with adults' appraisals) varied with age and the type and intensity of emotion. Although children were most accurate in identifying others' positive emotions, they were least accurate in identifying their causes. Moreover, although children's appraisals tended to be biased toward external events, recognition of internal factors was found to vary with age, emotion, and type of internal factor. It was suggested that young children's use of naturally occurring information regarding others' emotions depends on the emotion and the relative salience of the cues.

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