Affiliation:
1. Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University
Abstract
Abstract
Background: The present study examined the moderating effect of children’s emotional regulation on the relations between shyness and internalizing behavior in Turkish preschool children.
Methods: Participants were N = 222 children (M= 58.20 months, SD = 11.24, 116 girls, 106 boys) attending five kindergartens in Turkey. Mothers provided ratings of children’s shyness and emotion regulation; teachers assessed children’s internalizing behavior.
Results: Results indicated that shyness was positively associated with internalizing behavior and negatively associated with emotional regulation among Turkish preschool children. Moreover, children’s emotional regulation significantly moderated the relationship between shyness and internalizing behavior. Specifically, among children with lower levels of emotional regulation, shyness was significantly and positively associated with internalizing behaviors while among children with higher levels of emotional regulation, shyness was not associated with internalizing behaviors.
Conclusions: The current findings inform that the importance of improving children’s emotional regulation to buffer the internalizing behaviors among Turkish shyness young children.
Publisher
Research Square Platform LLC
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