Emotion-related self-regulation profiles in early adolescence: A cross-national study

Emotionality and self-regulation are crucial for positive development, especially during early adolescence when youths experience normative increases in behavioral problems and declines in prosociality. Using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA-a person-oriented technique to identify patterns of functioning within individuals), we identified youths' profiles based on dimensions of mother-reported negative emotionality (NE; anger/frustration, sadness/depressive mood), and Effortful Control (EC; attentional, activation and inhibitory control) and examined concurrent associations with self- and mother-reported aggressive and prosocial behaviors. We included a cross-national sample of 530 youths (Mage = 11.43; 49 % males) from Colombia (17 %), Italy (36 %), and United States (47 %). We identified four profiles: Adjusted (38 %; low NE; high EC)—lowest aggression, highest prosociality; Average (34 %; average NE and EC)—average aggression and prosociality; Emotional-regulated (20 %; high NE; average EC)—average aggression and high prosociality; and Emotional-dysregulated (8 %; high NE; low EC)—highest aggression, low prosociality. We highlight associations of different emotion-regulation patterns with specific behavioral responses in early adolescence.