Poster #22 - Vicious cycle of emotion regulation and ODD symptoms: A random intercept cross-lagged panel model

• In Event: Poster Session 07

Abstract

A strong link between children’s emotion regulation and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms has been documented; however, the within-person mechanisms remain unclear. Based on the self-control theory and self-regulation theory, our study investigated the longitudinal, bidirectional relationship between emotion regulation and ODD symptoms in school-age children with ODD in both the school and home settings. A total of 256 Chinese elementary school students (6~13 years, 186 boys; Mage = 9.56 years, SD = 1.58) participated in a three-wave longitudinal study spanning two years. We used the random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) to investigate the concurrent and longitudinal associations between emotion regulation and ODD symptoms. Results from the RI-CLPMs revealed that ODD symptoms were negatively correlated with emotion regulation and positively correlated with emotion lability/negativity at both the between-person and within-person levels across settings. Additionally, in the school setting, emotion regulation negatively predicted subsequent ODD symptoms but not vice versa, whereas emotion lability/negativity was bidirectionally associated with ODD symptoms over time. The longitudinal associations of ODD symptoms with emotion regulation and lability/negativity were not observed in the home setting. These findings suggest a circular mechanism between children’s emotion regulation and ODD symptoms and support the view that emotion regulation, particularly emotion lability/negativity, is core to ODD.

Group Authors

Wenrui Zhang1,2, Xiuyun Lin1,2,*

1. Institute of Developmental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
2. Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

Authors

• Wenrui Zhang, Beijing Normal University
  Presenting Author

• Xiuyun Lin, Institute of Developmental Psychology