A1 Journal article (refereed)
The Role of Adolescents’ and Their Parents’ Temperament Types in Adolescents’ Academic Emotions : A Goodness-of-Fit Approach (2021)

Lahdelma, P., Tolonen, M., Kiuru, N., & Hirvonen, R. (2021). The Role of Adolescents’ and Their Parents’ Temperament Types in Adolescents’ Academic Emotions : A Goodness-of-Fit Approach. Child and Youth Care Forum, 50(3), pages 471-492. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-020-09582-1

JYU authors or editors

Kiuru, Noona

Publication details

All authors or editors: Lahdelma, Pinja; Tolonen, Maria; Kiuru, Noona; Hirvonen, Riikka

Journal or series: Child and Youth Care Forum

ISSN: 1053-1890

eISSN: 1573-3319

Publication year: 2021

Publication date: 20/10/2020

Volume: 50

Issue number: 3

Pages range: pages 471–492

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Publication country: Netherlands

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-020-09582-1

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/72281

Abstract

Background
Academic emotions (e.g., enjoyment of learning or anxiety) play a significant role in academic performance and educational choices. An important factor explaining academic emotions can be students’ temperament and the goodness-of-fit between their temperament and their social environment, including parents.

Objective
This study investigated the unique and interactive effects of early adolescents’ and their parents’ temperament types on adolescents’ academic emotions in literacy and mathematics.

Method
The participants in the study consisted of 690 adolescent–parent dyads. Parents rated their own and their adolescents’ temperaments, and adolescents reported their positive and negative emotions in literacy and mathematics.

Results
The results showed that adolescents’ temperament type was significantly related to their negative emotions in both school subjects. Adolescents with an undercontrolled temperament reported more anger compared to adolescents with a resilient or overcontrolled temperament, and more anxiety, shame, and hopelessness compared to resilient adolescents. In addition, undercontrolled adolescents reported more boredom in mathematics than resilient or overcontrolled adolescents. The parents’ temperament type was related to positive emotions. Adolescents of resilient parents reported greater pride in mathematics than adolescents of undercontrolled or overcontrolled parents and higher hope in mathematics than adolescents of overcontrolled parents. Finally, overcontrolled adolescents with a resilient or overcontrolled parent reported higher enjoyment of mathematics and literacy in comparison to overcontrolled adolescents with an undercontrolled parent.

Conclusions
The findings of the study provide new knowledge about the role of temperament in the school context by showing that differences in temperamental reactivity and regulation relate to adolescents’ academic emotions.

Keywords: young people; parents; temperament; emotions; socio-emotional skills; learning; performance (capacity); study performance; educational choices; mathematics; literacy