Anger and Approach Motivation in Infancy:Relations to Behavioral Development in Early Childhood

摘要

The relations among infants'anger,approach behaviors,frontal EEG asymmetry,and effortful control and behavior problems were examined within the context of a longitudinal study of temperament.Two hundred and ninety-one four month-old infants were selected from temperament patterns to novel stimuli.Infants'anger was observed during arm restraint at both 4 and 9 months of age.Approach behaviors during an unpredictable toy task and baseline frontal EEG asymmetry were assessed at 9 months of age.Inhibitory control during a Go/No-Go task at age 4 and parental rating of temperament and behavior problems at age 2,and 4 were evaluated.The results indicated that High anger-prone infants at 4 months with left,but not right,frontal EEG asymmetry showed more approach behaviors and less inhibitory control relative to low anger-prone infants.In positive reactivity temperament pattern,9-month high anger-prone infants had higher effortful control and lower internalizing behaviors than low anger-prone infants.