Malleability beliefs shape mathematics-related achievement emotions: The mediating role of emotion regulation in primary school children

Abstract

Along the primary school children show a decrease in enjoyment, while anxiety and boredom increase, leading to detrimental effects on performance and wellbeing. This suggests the need to deepen the knowledge of the factors linked with regulation of positive and negative affect. We hypothesized that the more children believe emotions are malleable, the higher is their tendency to regulate them and their enjoyment rather than anxiety or boredom in mathematics. Then, we expected emotions to be related to mathematics-related achievement. We involved 715 second and fourth-graders using self-report questionnaires and a standardized test to assess achievement. The beliefs in the malleability related to emotion regulation, which mediated the associations with achievement emotions; achievement emotions were linked to achievement and mediated the relation between emotion regulation and achievement. We highlight the importance to foster emotion regulation since the primary school, also though shaping the beliefs in the malleability of emotions.