The Role of Emotional Awareness, Emotional Self-efficacy, and Emotion Regulation for Elementary School Children’s Well-being

• In Event: Emotional Competence in Childhood: Underlying Mechanisms and Consequences

Abstract

Emotional competence is considered important for children’s healthy development in the short and long term. Previous studies have mostly focused on emotion regulation and found positive relations of functional strategies (e.g., reappraisal, seeking social support) and negative associations of dysfunctional strategies (e.g., rumination, suppression) with higher well-being and better mental health (e.g., Aldao et al., 2010; Daniel et al., 2000). Furthermore, emotional awareness (e.g., emotion differentiation) has been suggested as a prerequisite for using appropriate emotion regulation strategies (e.g., Barrett et al., 2001) and is also associated with mental health problems (e.g., particularly internalizing problems; Rieffe & De Rooij, 2012). However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms between the different aspects of emotional competence in elementary school age, the role of children’s emotional self-efficacy in this regard, and specific associations with well-being. Based on theoretical models and frameworks (e.g., Gross, 2015; Lemerise & Arsenio, 2000; Morris et al., 2007), it might be assumed that the association between emotional awareness and well-being is mediated by emotional self-efficacy and emotion regulation. This study aims to empirically examine the interplay between the different aspects of emotional competence and also focuses on the relationships with well-being. In order to address this research question, self-reports of N = 289 children aged 7 to 11 years (M = 8.70, SD = 0.67; 51% female) in year 3 and 4 of elementary school in Germany were collected. Children completed questionnaires on emotional awareness (i.e., differentiating emotions, attention to others’ emotions, analyses of own emotions), emotional self-efficacy, emotion regulation (i.e., functional and dysfunctional strategies), and well-being. Path analysis including serial as well as parallel mediations were calculated. The model showed good fit to the data, χ2(3) = 6.59, CFI = .98, RMSEA = .06, SRMR = .03, and supported the assumed associations (Figure 1). In general, higher emotional awareness was related to higher emotional self-efficacy, which was associated with less dysfunctional and more functional emotion regulation, as well as higher well-being. Numerous indirect effects were found to be significant (.01 ≤ |β| ≤ .15, p < .05), with the strongest association occurring between children’s analyses of own emotions and well-being, mediated by emotional self-efficacy and emotion regulation. The empirical findings of this study, which are in line with theoretical assumptions (e.g., Lemerise & Arsenio, 2000), shed light on the interplay of different aspects of emotional competence and highlight their importance for children’s well-being. In particular, the strong relations and indirect effects found for associations including children’s analyses of their own emotions and emotional self-efficacy suggest that these variables – in addition to the well-studied emotion regulation – should be included in prevention and intervention programs.

Authors

• Jana-Elisa Rueth, Bielefeld University
  Presenting Author

• Arnold Lohaus, Bielefeld University