The Moderating Effects Of Social Behaviors On The Relation Between Temperament And Behavioral Problems

Temperament is a relatively stable individual difference in an individual's biologically based reactivity.In the face of new stimuli,exuberant children will have more approaching behaviors and positive emotions,while inhibited children will have more withdrawal behaviors and negative emotions.In social activities,exuberant children are more likely to initiate social interactions as well as aggressive behaviors,which leads them to develop more externalizing problems.In contrast,inhibited children often lack initiation,which also leads them to develop more internalizing problems.This study investigated the social behaviors of exuberant and inhibited children in cooperative and competitive situations,and how the social behaviors moderate the relationship between temperament and behavioral problems.The results showed that:(1)exuberant children had more affiliative behaviors both in the cooperative and competitive situations,and inhibited children had more onlooker and unoccupied behaviors in a cooperative situation.(2)In the cooperative situation,exuberant children who expressed more antagonistic behaviors developed more hyperactivity problems;inhibited children who showed less affiliative behaviors and concern for peers had more peer problems.(3)In the competitive situation,inhibited children who displayed less antagonistic behaviors showed more emotional problems,and who expressed less concern for peers developed more conduct problems.The article reveals the role of temperament and social behaviors in the development of children's behavioral problems from the view of stabilized traits and behaviors in goal directed situations.It shows that both exuberant and inhibited children should behave appropriately according to the situation,so that they could get better development in behaviors and social adaptation.