Weathering the Preschool Environment: Affect Moderates the Relations between Meteorology and Preschool Behaviors

Autor/inn/en	Lagace-Seguin, Daniel G.; d'Entremont, Marc-Robert L.
Titel	Weathering the Preschool Environment: Affect Moderates the Relations between Meteorology and Preschool Behaviors
Quelle	In: Early Child Development and Care, 175 (2005) 5, S.379-394 (16 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0300-4430
Schlagwörter	Questionnaires; Meteorology; Weather; Social Adjustment; Prosocial Behavior; Climate; Classroom Techniques; Preschool Children; Child Behavior + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Fragebogen; Meteorologie; Wetter; Soziale Anpassung; Klima; Klassenführung; Pre-school age; Preschool age; Child; Children; Pre-school education; Preschool education; Vorschulalter; Kind; Kinder; Vorschulkind; Vorschulkinder; Vorschulerziehung; Vorschule
Abstract	The goal of this study was to examine the relations among various meteorological conditions, affective states and behavior in young children. Results from past research have revealed many weather effects on behavior and emotions with adult samples. However, there is a paucity of empirical evidence to support this link with children. Thirty-three mothers were asked to rate their children (age 36-70 months) for a one-month period to assess positive and negative affect. Teachers completed questionnaires for the same period to assess internalizing (e.g. anxious), externalizing (e.g. aggressive) and prosocial (e.g. helping) behavior, and data were collected for various weather conditions. Pearson correlation analyses revealed many associations between weather and children?s internalizing, externalizing and prosocial behavior. Furthermore, using a moderated model approach, the interactions between weather (temperature, humidity and amount of sunshine) and children?s affect (positive and negative) were examined in the prediction of social adjustment in preschool. The overall pattern of results revealed that favorable temperature and an increased amount of sunshine promote positive social behaviors in children who are prone to higher levels of negative affect. However, the results also suggest that higher humidity is associated with decreases in prosocial behavior and increases in externalizing behavior in children who typically exhibit positive social adjustment. Findings are related to issues surrounding family functioning, classroom management and peer relations. (Author).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10