Children's Coping with Peer Rejection Experiences: The Regulating Role of Emotion

The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the role of emotions as predictors of children's coping responses to peer rejection experiences. This study also explored how children's emotional experience and coping behaviors were related to gender, peer socialization (i.e., receiving prosocial acts by peers and previous victimization experiences), and indices of psychopathology. Children ages 7-12 (N=53) completed questionnaires to assess emotional and coping responses to hypothetical peer rejection scenarios, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and peer experiences. Overall, findings suggested that emotion-related factors (emotion states and more stable "emotional tendencies" such as psychological symptoms) and social context (i.e., children's prosocial peer experiences and victimization) are important predictors of children's coping with peer rejection. Children's emotions predicted coping responses after controlling for peer experiences. Discrete emotions were uniquely associated with coping responses, indicating that coping responses are emotionally-driven. Finally, gender emerged as a predictor of children's emotions in response to rejection experiences. Girls were more likely than boys to anticipate feeling sad or worried inresponse to rejection. These findings provide an empirical foundation for future research and the development of interventions to facilitate adaptive reactions to peer rejection.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2006

Author dc:creator

• Goodman, Kimberly L.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Michael Southam-Gerow

• emotion
• children
• coping behavior
• socialization
• peer rejection
• peer victimization
• bullying
• Psychology
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Identifier

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/1405

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-2404