Guilt and effortful control: two mechanisms that prevent disruptive developmental trajectories.

Full Abstract

Children's guilt associated with transgressions and their capacity for effortful control are both powerful forces that inhibit disruptive conduct. The authors examined how guilt and effortful control, repeatedly observed from toddlerhood to preschool age, jointly predicted children's disruptive outcomes in 2 multimethod, multitrait longitudinal studies (Ns = 57 and 99). Disruptive outcomes were rated by mothers at 73 months (Study 1) and mothers, fathers, and teachers at 52 and 67 months (Study 2). In both studies, guilt moderated effects of effortful control: For highly guilt-prone children, variations in effortful control were unrelated to future disruptive outcomes, but for children who were less guilt prone, effortful control predicted such outcomes. Guilt may inhibit transgressions through an automatic response due to negative arousal triggered by memories of past wrongdoing, regardless of child capacity for deliberate inhibition. Effortful control that engages a deliberate restraint may offset risk for disruptive conduct conferred by low guilt.

Author information

Author/s: Kochanska, Grazyna (G); Barry, Robin A (RA); Jimenez, Natasha B (NB); Hollatz, Amanda L (AL); Woodard, Jarilyn (J);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1407, USA. grazyna-kochanska(-atsign-)uiowa.edu

Grants: K02 MH01446 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01 MH063096-01 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01 MH63096 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Journal of personality and social psychology (J Pers Soc Psychol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Aug; vol 97 (issue 2) : pp 322-33

Dates: Created 2009/07/28; Completed 2009/10/01;

PMID: 19634978, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/1/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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