Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Student–Teacher Relationships and Attention Problems in School-Aged Children: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
School Mental Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the quality of student–teacher relationship and attention problems, taking into account two different attention problems (Attention Dysregulation and Attentive Detachment), and the mediating role of Emotion Regulation. Through a multi-informant methodology, teachers rated 161 school-aged children (87 boys and 74 girls) using the Emotion Regulation Checklist, Teacher’s Report Form, and Student–Teacher Relationship Scale, and observers rated the same children on attentive behavior in class using the Child’ s Attention Scale. Results demonstrated the influence of the student–teacher relationship on attentional behavior, via the mediating role of Emotion Regulation. On dealing with children’s attention problems, it will be useful to strive for improving student–teacher relationships that in turn could foster their emotion and attention regulation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. (2001). Manual for the ASEBA school-age forms & profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families.

    Google Scholar 

  • Agler, R., & De Boeck, P. (2017). On the interpretation and use of mediation: Multiple perspectives on mediation analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01984.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahnert, L., Pinquart, M., & Lamb, M. E. (2006). Security of children’s relationships with nonparental care providers: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 77, 664–679. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00896.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Yagon, M., & Mikulincer, M. (2006). Children’s appraisal of teacher as a secure base and their socio-emotional and academic adjustment in middle childhood. Research in Education, 75, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.7227/rie.75.1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Arnett, A. B., Pennington, B. F., Willcutt, E. G., DeFries, J. C., & Olson, R. K. (2015). Sex differences in ADHD symptom severity. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 56(6), 632–639.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Aron, E. N., Aron, A., & Jagiellowicz, J. (2012). Sensory processing sensitivity: A review in the light of the evolution of biological responsivity. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 16, 262–282. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868311434213.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berry, B. (2012). Inhibitory control and teacher–child conflict: Reciprocal associations across the elementary-school years. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 33, 66–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2011.10.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blair, C., & Dennis, T. (2010). An optimal balance: The integration of emotion and cognition in context. In S. D. Calkins & M. A. Bell (Eds.), Child development at the intersection of emotion and cognition (pp. 17–35). Washington: An Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/12059-002.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Blair, C., & Ursache, A. (2011). A bidirectional model of executive functions and self-regulation. In K. D. Vohs & R. F. Baumeister (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory, and applications (pp. 300–320). London: Guilford press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. Sage Focus Editions, 154, 136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bunford, N., Evans, S. W., & Wymbs, F. (2015). ADHD and emotion dysregulation among children and adolescents. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 18, 185–217.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bunford, N., Kujawa, A., Fitzgerald, K. D., Monk, C. S., & Phan, K. L. (2018). Convergence of BOLD and ERP measures of neural reactivity to emotional faces in children and adolescents with and without anxiety disorders. Biological Psychology, 134, 9–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.02.006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burnham, K. P., & Anderson, D. R. (2004). Multi-model inference understanding AIC and BIC in model selection. Sociological Methods & Research, 33, 261–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124104268644.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bush, G., Luu, P., & Posner, M. I. (2000). Cognitive and emotional influences in anterior cingulate cortex. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 4, 215–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1364-6613(00)01483-2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Buyse, E., Verschueren, K., Doumen, S., Van Damme, J., & Maes, F. (2008). Classroom problem behavior and teacher–child relationships in kindergarten: The moderating role of classroom climate. Journal of School Psychology, 46, 367–391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2007.06.009.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Calkins, S. D., & Hill, A. (2007). Caregiver influences on emerging emotion regulation: Biological and environmental transactions in early development. In J. Gross (Ed.), Handbook of emotion regulation (pp. 229–248). New York, NY: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Capdevila-Brophy, C., Artigas-Pallarés, J., Navarro-Pastor, J. B., García-Nonell, K., Rigau-Ratera, E., & Obiols, J. E. (2014). ADHD predominantly inattentive subtype with high sluggish cognitive tempo: A new clinical entity? Journal of Attention Disorders, 18, 607–616. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054712445483.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, E. A. (1998). A prospective longitudinal study of attachment disorganization/disorientation. Child Development, 69, 1107–1128. https://doi.org/10.2307/1132365.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, C. L., & Mann, M. (2002). Sluggish cognitive tempo predicts a different pattern of impairment in the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, predominantly inattentive type. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 31, 123–129. https://doi.org/10.1207/153744202753441738.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chong, W. H., Huan, V., Quek, C. L., Yeo, L. S., & Ang, R. (2010). Student–teacher Relationship: The influence of teacher interpersonal behaviors and perceived beliefs about teachers on the school adjustment of low achieving students in Asian middle schools. School Psychology International, 31, 312–328. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034310366207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Commodari, E. (2013). Preschool teacher attachment and attention skills. SpringerPlus, 2, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/2193-1801-2-673.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danner, D., Hagemann, D., & Fiedler, K. (2015). Mediation analysis with structural equation models: Combining theory, design, and statistics. European Journal of Social Psychology, 45, 460–481. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DuPaul, G. J., Kern, L., Belk, G., Custer, B., Hatfield, A., Daffner, M., & Peek, D. (2017). Promoting parent engagement in behavioral intervention for young children with ADHD: Iterative treatment development. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 0271121417746220.

  • Durbrow, E. H., Schaefer, B. A., & Jimerson, S. R. (2000). Beyond the ‘Usual Suspects’ in explaining academic performance learning behaviors, attention and anxiety in Caribbean children. School Psychology International, 21, 242–251. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034300213002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, N., Fabes, R. A., & Guthrie, I. K. (1997). Coping with stress: The roles of regulation and development. In S. A. Wolchik & I. N. Sandler (Eds.), Handbook of children’s coping: Linking theory and intervention (pp. 41–70). New York, NY: Plenum.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, N., Hofer, C., Sulik, M. J., & Spinrad, T. L. (2014). Self-regulation, effortful control, and their socioemotional correlates. In J. J. Gross (Ed.), Handbook of emotion regulation (2nd ed., pp. 157–172). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eysenck, M. W., Derakshan, N., Santos, R., & Calvo, M. G. (2007). Anxiety and cognitive performance: Attentional control theory. Emotion, 7, 336–353. https://doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.7.2.336.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fearon, R. M. P., & Belsky, J. (2004). Attachment and attention: Protection in relation to gender and cumulative social-contextual adversity. Child Development, 75, 1677–1694. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00809.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fraire, M., Longobardi, C., & Sclavo, E. (2008). Contribution to validation of the student-teacher relationship scale (STRS Italian Version) in the italian educational setting. European Journal of Education and Psychology, 1, 49–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gershon, J., & Gershon, J. (2002). A meta-analytic review of gender differences in ADHD. Journal of attention disorders, 5(3), 143–154.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Graziano, P. A., & Garcia, A. (2016). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and children’s emotion dysregulation: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 46, 106–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2016.04.011.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gross, J. J., & Thompson, R. A. (2007). Emotion regulation. Conceptual foundations. In J. J. Gross (Ed.), Handbook of emotion regulation (pp. 3–24). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hesse, E., & Main, M. (2000). Disorganized infant, child and adult attachment: collapse in behavioral and attentional strategies. Journal of American Psychoanalytical Association, 48, 1097–1127. https://doi.org/10.1177/00030651000480041101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jerome, E. M., Hamre, B. K., & Pianta, R. C. (2009). Teacher–child relationships from kindergarten to sixth grade: Early childhood predictors of teacher-perceived conflict and closeness. Social Development, 18, 915–945. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2008.00508.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kazdin, A. E., & Klock, J. (1973). The effect of nonverbal teacher approval on student attentive behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 6, 643–654.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kline, R. B. (2010). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ladd, G. W., & Burgess, K. B. (2001). Do relational risks and protective factors moderate the linkages between childhood aggression and early psychological and school adjustment? Child Development, 72, 1579–1602. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00366.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liew, J., Chen, Q., & Hughes, J. N. (2010). Child effortful control, student-teacher relationships, and achievement in academically at-risk children: Additive and interactive effects. Early Child Research Quarterly, 25, 51–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2009.07.005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacKinnon, D. P., Lockwood, C. M., & Williams, J. (2004). Confidence limits for the indirect effect: Distribution of the product and resampling methods. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 39, 99–128. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327906mbr3901_4.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Main, M., & Solomon, J. (1990). Procedures for identifying infants. In M. T. Greenberg, D. Cicchetti, & E. M. Cummings (Eds.), Attachment in the preschool years: Theory, research, and intervention (pp. 121–160). Chicago: Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moed, A., Gershoff, E. T., Eisenberg, N., Hofer, C., Losoya, S., Spinrad, T. L., et al. (2017). Parent–child negative emotion reciprocity and children’s school success: An emotion-attention process model. Social Development, 26, 560–574. https://doi.org/10.1111/sode.12217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Molina, P., Sala, M. N., Zappulla, C., Bonfigliuoli, C., Cavioni, V., Zanetti, M. A., et al. (2014). The emotion regulation checklist-Italian translation. Validation of parent and teacher versions. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 11, 624–634. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2014.898581.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2006). Mplus (Version 5.1). Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogawa, J. R., Sroufe, L. A., Weinfield, N. S., Carlson, E. A., & Egeland, B. (1997). Development and the fragmented self: Longitudinal study of dissociative symptomatology in a nonclinical sample. Development and Psychopathology, 9, 855–879. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954579497001478.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pallini, S., Baiocco, R., Baumgartner, E., Bellucci, M. T., & Laghi, F. (2017). Attachment in childcare centers: Is it related to Toddlers’ emotion regulation and attentive behavior? Child Indicators Research, 10, 205–220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-016-9371-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pallini, S., & Laghi, F. (2012). Attention and attachment related behavior toward professional caregivers in child care centers: A new measure for toddlers. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 173, 158–174. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.2011.584330.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pianta, R. C. (1999). Enhancing relationships between children and teachers. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10314-000.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pianta, R. C. (2001). Student–teacher relationship scale: Professional manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Posner, M. I., Rothbart, M. K., Sheese, B. E., & Voelker, P. (2014). Developing attention: behavioral and brain mechanisms. Advances in Neuroscience, 2014, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/405094.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rabiner, D. L., Carrig, M. M., & Dodge, K. A. (2016). Attention problems and academic achievement: Do persistent and earlier-emerging problems have more adverse long-term effects? Journal of attention disorders, 20, 946–957. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054713507974.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rey, R. B., Smith, A. L., Cheryl Somers, J. Y., & Barnett, D. (2007). Relationships between teachers and Urban African American children: The role of informant. School Psychology International, 28, 346–364. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034307078545.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, J., & Robertson, J. (1989). John. New York: New York Library.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothbart, M. K., Ahadi, S. A., Hershey, K. L., & Fisher, P. (2001). Investigations of temperament at 3–7 years: The Children’s behavior questionnaire. Child Development, 72, 1394–1408. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00355.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rothbart, M. K., & Bates, J. E. (2006). Temperament. In N. Eisenberg (Vol. Ed.) & W. Damon (Series Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3. Social, emotional, and personality development (6th ed., pp. 99–166). New York, NY: Wiley.

  • Rudasill, K. M. (2011). Child temperament, teacher-child interactions, and teacher-child relationships: A longitudinal investigation from first to third grade. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 26, 147–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2010.07.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rudasill, K. M., & Rimm-Kaufman, S. E. (2009). Teacher-child relationship quality: The roles of child temperament and teacher-child interactions. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 24, 107–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2008.12.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rueda, M. R., Posner, M. I., & Rothbart, M. K. (2011). Attentional control and self-regulation. In R. F. Baumeister & K. D. Vohs (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory, and applications (2nd ed., pp. 284–299). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruff, H. A., & Rothbart, M. K. (1996). Attention in early development: Themes and variations. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sabol, T. J., & Pianta, R. C. (2012). Recent trends in research on teacher–child relationships. Attachment & Human Development, 14, 213–231. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2012.672262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, P., Stringaris, A., Nigg, J., & Leibenluft, E. (2014). Emotion dysregulation in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 171, 276–293.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shields, A., & Cicchetti, D. (1997). Emotion regulation among school-age children: The development and validation of a new criterion Q-sort scale. Developmental Psychology, 33, 906–916. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.33.6.906.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shields, A., & Cicchetti, D. (1998). Reactive aggression among maltreated children: The contributions of attention and emotion dysregulation. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 27, 381–395. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15374424jccp2704_2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smeekens, S., Riksen-Walraven, J. M., & Van Bakel, H. J. (2009). The predictive value of different infant attachment measures for socioemotional development at age 5 years. Infant Mental Health Journal, 30, 366–383. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.20219.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sroufe, L. A. (1996). Emotional development: The organization of emotional life in the early years. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Stuhlman, M. W., & Pianta, R. C. (2009). Profiles of educational quality in first grade. The Elementary School Journal, 109, 323–342. https://doi.org/10.1086/593936.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka, J. S. (1993). Multifaceted conceptions of fit in structural equation models. Sage Focus Editions, 154, 10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, G. L. (2006). An SPSS implementation of the nonrecursive outlier deletion procedure with shifting z score criterion. Behavior Research Methods, 38, 344–352. https://doi.org/10.3758/brm.38.2.344.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tofighi, D., & MacKinnon, D. P. (2011). RMediation: An R package for mediation analysis confidence intervals. Behavior Research Methods, 43, 692–700. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-011-0076-x.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Trentacosta, C. J., Izard, C. E., Mostow, A. J., & Fine, S. E. (2006). Children’s emotional competence and attentional competence in early elementary school. School Psychology Quarterly, 21, 148–170. https://doi.org/10.1521/scpq.2006.21.2.148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Selst, M., & Jolicoeur, P. (1994). A solution to the effect of sample size on outlier elimination. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 47A, 631–650. https://doi.org/10.1080/14640749408401131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verschueren, K., & Koomen, H. M. (2012). Teacher–child relationships from an attachment perspective. Attachment & Human Development, 14, 205–211. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2012.672260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • von Salisch, M., Denham, S. A., & Koch, T. (2017). Emotion knowledge and attention problems in young children: A cross-lagged panel study on the direction of effects. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 45, 45–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-016-0157-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y., & Dix, T. (2017). Mothers’ depressive symptoms in infancy and children’s adjustment in grade school: The role of children’s sustained attention and executive function. Developmental Psychology, 53, 1666–1679. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000373.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Warren, S. L., Bost, K. K., Roisman, G. I., Silton, R. L., Spielberg, J. M., Engels, A. S., et al. (2010). Effects of adult attachment and emotional distractors on brain mechanisms of cognitive control. Psychological Science, 21, 1818–1826. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797610388809.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weeland, J., Van den Akker, A., Slagt, M., & Putnam, S. (2017). Perception is key? Does perceptual sensitivity and parenting behavior predict children’s reactivity to others’ emotions? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 163, 53–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2017.06.012.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weinfield, N. S., Whaley, G. J., & Egeland, B. (2004). Continuity, discontinuity, and coherence in attachment from infancy to late adolescence: Sequelae of organization and disorganization. Attachment & Human Development, 6(1), 73–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616730310001659566.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • West, J., Taylor, M., Houghton, S., & Hudyma, S. (2005). A comparison of teachers’ and parents’ knowledge and beliefs about Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). School Psychology International, 26, 192–208. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034305052913.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zionts, L. T. (2005). Examining relationships between students and teachers: A potential extension of attachment theory? In K. A. Kerns & R. A. Richardson (Eds.), Attachment in middle childhood (pp. 231–254). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, University of Rome Tre, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Susanna Pallini & Giovanni Maria Vecchio

  2. Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Roberto Baiocco & Fiorenzo Laghi

  3. Department of Psychology, Boston College, Boston, MA, 02467, USA

    Barry H. Schneider

Authors
  1. Susanna Pallini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Giovanni Maria Vecchio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Roberto Baiocco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Barry H. Schneider
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Fiorenzo Laghi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fiorenzo Laghi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pallini, S., Vecchio, G.M., Baiocco, R. et al. Student–Teacher Relationships and Attention Problems in School-Aged Children: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation. School Mental Health 11, 309–320 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-018-9286-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-018-9286-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation