Using behavioral observation for the longitudinal study of anger regulation in middle childhood

Abstract

Assessing anger regulation via self-reports is fraught with problems, especially among children. Behavioral observation provides an ecologically valid alternative for measuring anger regulation. The present study uses data from two waves of a longitudinal study to present a behavioral observation approach for measuring anger regulation in middle childhood. At T1, 599 children from Germany (6-10 years old) were observed during an anger eliciting task, and the use of anger regulation strategies was coded. At T2, 3 years later, the observation was repeated with an age-appropriate version of the same task. Partial metric measurement invariance over time demonstrated the structural equivalence of the two versions. Maladaptive anger regulation between the two time points showed moderate stability. Validity was established by showing correlations with aggressive behavior, peer problems, and conduct problems (concurrent and predictive criterion validity). The study presents an ecologically valid and economic approach to assessing anger regulation strategies in situ.

Risk Factors for the Development of Aggressive Behavior From Middle Childhood to Adolescence: The Interaction of Person and Environment

“…The same children were studied again 3 years later with an age-adapted version of the tower-building task. significant another 2 years later (Kirsch et al, 2019). Moreover, maladaptive anger regulation was a significant prospective predictor of problems with peers, as assessed through ratings by the children, their parents, and their teachers.…”

“…Anger-induction task to facilitate behavioral observation of anger regulation (Kirsch, Busching, Rohlf, & Krahé, 2019; Rohlf & Krahé, 2015). Children between 6 and 10 years old were asked to build a tower of bricks and told that they could win an attractive prize if they succeeded.…”

“…Children’s behavioral strategies for regulating their anger when the tower collapsed were classified as maladaptive (e.g., venting the anger, verbal and visual focus on the frustrating stimulus) and adaptive (solution orientation) behavioral strategies with regard to aggression (Kirsch, Busching, Rohlf, & Krahé, 2019; Rohlf & Krahé, 2015). Maladaptive anger regulation was significantly correlated with teacher ratings, obtained 10 months later, of how frequently the child had shown physical and relational aggression in the prior 6 months (Rohlf et al, 2017).…”

“…Maladaptive anger regulation was significantly correlated with teacher ratings, obtained 10 months later, of how frequently the child had shown physical and relational aggression in the prior 6 months (Rohlf et al, 2017). The path from maladaptive anger regulation to teacher-rated aggressive behavior was still significant another 2 years later (Kirsch et al, 2019). Moreover, maladaptive anger regulation was a significant prospective predictor of problems with peers, as assessed through ratings by the children, their parents, and their teachers.…”