Do peer and child temperament jointly predict student–teacher conflict and closeness?

Abstract

In this short-term longitudinal study, we tested if peers' temperament in the fall of second grade predicted target children's (N = 241) student–teacher conflict and closeness in the spring of second grade and whether target children's self-regulation moderated these associations. Based on regression analyses, peers' negative emotionality was negatively related to target children's student–teacher closeness; peers' self-regulation was positively associated with target children's student–teacher closeness. Based on tests of interactions, the inverse relation between peers' self-regulation and target children's student–teacher conflict was significant when target children had low and average, but not high, self-regulation. Similarly, peers' positive emotionality was negatively related to student–teacher conflict for children with low self-regulation. Children's self-regulation did not moderate associations between peers' temperament and student–teacher closeness. Findings highlight the potential role of children's self-regulation in some associations between peers' temperament and student–teacher conflict.