Anger and Approach Motivation in Infancy: Relations to Early Childhood Inhibitory Control and Behavior Problems

Abstract

The relations among infant anger reactivity, approach behavior, and frontal EEG asymmetry, and their relations to inhibitory control and behavior problems in early childhood were examined within the context of a longitudinal study of temperament. Two hundred and nine infants’ anger expressions to arm restraint were observed at 4 months of age. Infants’ approach behaviors during play with an unpredictable toy and baseline frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry were assessed at 9 months of age. Inhibitory control during a Go/No-Go task and parent-report of behavior problems were evaluated at 4 years of age. High anger-prone infants with left, but not right, frontal EEG asymmetry showed significantly more approach behaviors and less inhibitory control relative to less anger-prone infants. Although a link between anger proneness in infancy and behavior problems in early childhood was not found, a combination of low approach behaviors and poor inhibitory control was predictive of internalizing behaviors.

Neural correlates of prosocial behavior in infancy: Different neurophysiological mechanisms support the emergence of helping and comforting

“…First, applying previous designs (e.g., He et al, 2010;Mundy et al, 2000), frontal effects were examined by a number of frontal electrodes whereas only one pair of temporal electrodes was included. Although a post-hoc analysis on one commonly employed frontal pair (F7/F8) shows comparable effects for this electrode pair only (distress understanding: r = −.47, p b .01; global empathy: r = −.38, p b .05), it will be informative for future research to use a wider sample of temporal electrodes to further substantiate the present findings.…”

“…Although a post-hoc analysis on one commonly employed frontal pair (F7/F8) shows comparable effects for this electrode pair only (distress understanding: r = −.47, p b .01; global empathy: r = −.38, p b .05), it will be informative for future research to use a wider sample of temporal electrodes to further substantiate the present findings. Second, to keep our results comparable with that of earlier studies employing the same measure (e.g., Fox et al, 1995;He et al, 2010;Mundy et al, 2000;Vuga et al, 2008), we used an average re-reference analysis as common in most developmental studies with similar designs and electrode layouts (Bell, 2012;Cuevas and Bell, 2011;He et al, 2010;Schmidt et al, 2009). The average reference was further motivated by considerations that references based on either linked ears/linked mastoids or the common vertex have been criticized based on methodological considerations (Davidson, 1988;Hagemann, 2004).…”

“…2 for an overview). F3, F4, F7, F8, C3, Cz, C4, T7, T8, P3, P4, O1, and O2 are electrode pairs commonly employed in EEG resting state research (e.g., Cuevas et al, 2012;He et al, 2010;Mundy et al, 2000;Vuga et al, 2008). Fp1 and Fp2 were included to allow the detection of vertical eye-movements and blinks.…”

Anger Expression and Persistence in Young Children

“…Or children were instructed to wait during a delay-of-gratification task (Yang & Liu, 2008). According to a dimensional model of affect, anger, like happiness, is associated with approach motivation to blocked goals (Carver & Harmon-Jones, 2009;He et al, 2010). Thus, attempts to solve the puzzle by cheating or getting the desired toy despite instructions to wait by children who are easily angered involve rule breaking.…”

Self-Regulation in the Training of Students With Developmental Delays

“…In the studies of mental retardation, the problem of self-regulation was indirectly considered in the context of speech activities (Honcharuk, 2012;Milevska, 2012;Marchuk, 2008 and others); in terms of emotional, volitional and motivational areas (Bekh, 1995;Bozhovych, 1968;Kotyrlo, 1974;Desi, 1991;McClelland's, 2010;Ryan, 1991 and others); the structure of self-regulation in the aspect of motivational-personal and operational technical components of educational activities schemes is outlined in the works by Vygotsky (1960), Davydov (1996), Markova (1983), Halperin (1985) and others; in terms of studying motivation, goal-setting, educational aspirations of mentally-retarded children (Konopkin, 1980;Lubovsky, 1978;Maksimenko, 2004Maksimenko, , 2010Menchynska, 1970;Henderson, 2010); against the background of self-control and self-esteem in educational and extracurricular activities of mentally-retarded pupils (Zharenkova, 1984;Kalmykova, 1977;Lynda, 1979;Markova, 1983;Prokhorenko, 2008;; as a means of fault correction in the intellectual development of mentally retarded children (Lubovsky, 1978;Peresleni, 1972 and others). The results of the investigation show that the processes of goal-setting, programming and control aren't formed at the appropriate level, function with certain characteristics and are the result of systematic underdevelopment of all psychic functions, motivation, self-control and self-regulation, which has a negative effect students' learning activities.…”