Skip to main content Skip to search
Temper tantrums in young children: 1. Behavioral composition
Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics: JDBP
Short Title: Temper tantrums in young children
Format: Journal Article
Publication Year: n.d.
Pages: 140-147
Sources ID: 22745
Visibility: Private
Zotero Collections: Contexts of Contemplation Project
Abstract: (Show)
Although tantrums are among the most common behavioral problems of young children and may predict future antisocial behavior, little is known about them. To develop a model of this important phenomenon of early childhood, behaviors reported in parental narratives of the tantrums of 335 children aged 18 to 60 months were encoded as present or absent in consecutive 30-second periods. Principal Component (PC) analysis identified Anger and Distress as major, independent emotional and behavioral tantrum constituents. Anger-related behaviors formed PCs at three levels of intensity. High-intensity anger decreased with age, and low-intensity anger increased. Distress, the fourth PC, consisted of whining, crying, and comfort-seeking. Coping Style, the fifth PC, had high but opposite loadings on dropping down and running away, possibly reflecting the tendency to either "submit" or "escape." Model validity was indicated by significant correlations of the PCs with tantrum variables that were, by design, not included in the PC analysis.
Zotero Collections