Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 PhD Student, Department of General Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.

10.22055/psy.2023.43950.3056

Abstract

Introduction
Adolescence encompasses a developmental period with significant neurobiological changes, often associated with intense emotions or feelings, reward-seeking, and risk-taking. While bringing new experiences, these changes also present risks (Liew et al., 2023). Clinical psychologists usually divide the emotional and behavioral disorders of adolescents into two categories: internal and externalized disorders. Internalizing disorders are over-controlled symptoms directed inward, and externalizing disorders are under-controlled symptoms directed outward (Ganji, 2022). Personality dimensions are the factors that play a fundamental role in the ethology of internalized (Ahola et al., 2023) and externalizing symptoms (Abdol-mohammadi et al., 2021). According to Cloninger's psychobiological model, personality comprises two dimensions: temperament and character. The temperament dimensions are hereditary and are stable throughout life and in the later stages of individuals.
In contrast, the character dimension includes self-conscious emotions that develop throughout life (Cloninger et al., 1993). On the other hand, one of the factors affecting emotional-behavioral disorders is the presence of some kind of disorder in emotional regulation (Fernandes et al., 2023). Zagaria et al. (2023) found that maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies are associated with emotional behavioral disorders and adaptive strategies are associated with emotional-behavioral health. Therefore, the main of the present study is to investigate the mediating role of positive and negative cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between personality traits and the occurrence of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in adolescent boys and girls in Andimeshk City.
 
Method
The research method was a correlational structural equation model. The statistical population comprised all the male and female students in the second grade of high school in Andimshek City in 2020-2021. A sample of 326 people (165 girls and 161 boys) were selected using the multi-stage cluster sampling method and answered the Youth Self-Report questionnaire, which contains 112 items. The test-retest reliability of this questionnaire was reported to be 0.82, and the internal consistency of each subscale was reported between 0.55 and 0.75 (Aschenbach & Rescorella, 2001). The temperament and Character Inventory contains 125 items and measures four dimensions of temperament (novelty­ seeking, harm avoidance, reward Dependence, Persistence) and three dimensions of character (Self-directedness, Cooperativeness, self-transcendence). Reliability was obtained for temperament 0.77 and character 0.81 (Cloninger et al., 1994), and the Cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire contains 36 items. The reliability of this questionnaire was for positive, negative, and total strategies 0.91, 0.87, and 0.93, respectively. (Garnefski et al., 2001). Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficients and structural equation model in SPSS24, AMOS/18 software, and the Sobet test.
 
Results
The results showed that for both indirect paths of the effect of temperament and character on internalized and externalized symptoms through positive and negative cognitive emotion regulation, zero is outside the confidence interval (lower limit and upper limit), and the obtained significant level is less than 0.05. Also, for both indirect paths of the effect of temperament and character on externalized symptoms through positive and negative cognitive emotion regulation, zero is outside the confidence interval (lower limit and upper limit), and the obtained significant level is less than 0.05. Therefore, two indirect effects are significant and confirmed.
 
Discussion
The results of the present study showed that positive and negative


strategies of cognitive emotion regulation mediate the relationship between temperament and character on the internalized and externalized symptoms. An individual's choice of cognitive emotion regulation strategies and their regulatory effectiveness depends on their traits. Positive and negative strategies of cognitive emotion regulation, due to their adaptive and maladaptive nature, each lead to the intensification or suppression of negative emotion or the increase of positive emotions, which, in turn, leads to conscious and unconscious emotional, behavioral, and cognitive reactions in response to stressful environmental stimuli, depending on personality dimensions, and as a result, will make the adolescent susceptible to internalized and externalized symptoms. Overall, considering the findings of this study, it is recommended that clinics and educational counseling centers use the findings of this 
Zagaria et al. (2023) found that maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies are associated with emotional behavioral disorders and adaptive strategies are associated with emotional-behavioral health. Therefore, the main of the present study is to investigate the mediating role of positive and negative cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between personality traits and the occurrence of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in adolescents in Andimeshk City.

Keywords

Abdolmohammadi, R., Taghiloo, S., & Jadidi, M. (2021). The Prediction of oppositional defiant disorder based on parenting styles, personality traits, and parental perfectionism traits, Journal of Social Psychology, 14(59), 15-26. [Persian]
Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L.A. (2001). Manual for the ASEBA school-age forms & profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center of Children, Youth, and Families.
Ahola, A., Rautio, N., Timonen, M., Nordstrom, T., Jaaskelainen, E., Miettunen, J. (2023). Premorbid temperament as predictor of onset of depression: 23-year fallow-up. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 121, 152359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2022.152359
Akbari, N., Mahmoudvand, M., Shahedi, A., Azizi, M. (2022). The Role of Family Communication Ptterns and Teperament in predicting separation Anxiety in Elementary students. Journal of New Advances in Psychology, Training and Education, 4(39). [Persian]
Aliakbari Dehkordi, M., Aliakbari, M., Zolfagharinezhad, M., Hosseini, M., Balali, M. (2022). The Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies and Beha vioral Activator-Innibitor Systems in Depression of Female Students. Psychological Achievements Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, 29(Special Issue), 15-26. https://doi.org/10.22055/psy.2022.41059.2865
Alonso, P., Menchon, J. M., Jimenez, S., Segalas. J., Mataix-Cols, D., Jaurrieta, N., Labad, J., Vallejo, J., Cardoner, N., Pujol, J. (2008). Personality dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Relation to clinical to variables. Psychiatry Research, 157, 159-168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2006.06.003
American Psychiatric Association (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Translated by Ganji, Mehdi, Savalan Publishing.
Basharpoor, S., Atarod, N., & Eini, S. (2017). Temperament and character Dimensions and depression: the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation. Thought & Behavior in Clinical Psychology, 11(43), 27-36. [Persian]
Beck, K. B., Conner, C. M., Breitenfeldt, K. E., Northrup, J. B., White, S. W., & Mazefsky, C. A. (2021). Assessment and treatment of emotion regulation impairment in autism spectrum disorder across the life span: Current state of the science and future directions. Child Adolesc Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 29(3), 527-542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2020.02.003
Camodeca, M., & Coppola, G. (2019). Participant roles in preschool bullying the impact of emotion regulation, social preference, and quality of the teacher-child relationship. Social Development, 28(1), https://doi.org/10.1111/sode.12320
Carlen, K., Suominen, S., Augustine, L., Saarinen, M. M., Aromaa, M., Rautava, P., Sourander, A., & Sillanpaa, M. (2022). Teenager’s mental health problems predict probable mental diagnosis 3 years later among girls, but what about the boys? Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 16(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-022-00473-y
Cavicchioli, M., Tobia, V., & Ogliari, A. (2023). Emotion Regulation Strategies as Risk Factors for Developmental Psychopathology: a Meta-analytic Review of Longitudinal Studies based on Cross-lagged Corrrlations and Panel Models. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol, 202351 (3), 295-315. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-022-00980-8
Chae, H., Park, S, H., Garcia, D., & Lee, S. J. (2019). Cloninger’s TCL associations with adoptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. PeerJ 7,7958. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7958
Cloninger, C. R., Przbeck, T. R., Svrakic. D. M. & Wetzel. R. D. (1994). Temperament and Character Inventory (TCL): A guide to its development and use. St-Louis, Mo: Center for Psychobiology and personality. Washington University, 2, 19-28. https://doi.org/10.1037/t03902-000
Cloninger, C. R., Svrakic, D. M., & Przybeck, T. R. (1993). A Psychobiological Model of Temperament and Character. Archives of General Psychiatry, 50(12), 975-990. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1993.01820240059008
Deotto, A., Eastwood, J. D., & Toplak, M. E. (2022). Temperament Profiles Associated With Internalizing Symptoms and Externalizing Behavior in Adolescents with ADHD. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 53(1),109-123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-020-01116-z
Domaradska, E., Fajkowska, M. (2018). Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Anxiety and Depression Understood as Types of personality. Front Psychol, 12(9), 856-862. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00856
Fernandes, B., Wright, M., & Essau, C. A., (2023). The Role of Emotion and Executive Functioning In the Intervention Outcome of Children with Emotional and Behavioural Problems. Journal Children, 10(1), 139. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10010139
Ganji, M. (2022). Abnormal Psychology based on DSM-5. Tehran: Savalan publication. [Persian]
Garnfski, N., Kraaij, V., & Spinhoven, P. (2001). Negative life events, cognitive emotion regulation and emotional problems. Personality and Individual Differences, 30(8), 1311-1327. https://doi.org/10.1016/psyS0191-8869(00)00113-6
Ghaderi , M., Dokaneei Fard, F., Jahangir, P., & Vosogh Taghi Dizaj, A. (2023). The Model of Predicting Psychological Distress acoording to Emotional Regulation with the Mediation Role of Adaptation to Infertile Women. Psychological Achievements Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, 30(2), 233-244. https://doi.org/10.22055/psy.2022.40485.2831
Ghodratollahifard, M., Chinaveh, M., Aminimanesh, S. (2021) The Mediating Role of Anxiety Tolerance and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Concerning Childhood Injuries and the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorders Symptoms in Nurses. Sadra Journal of Medical Sciences, 9(3), 271-284. https://doi.org/10.30476/smsj.2022.90074.1218 [Persian]
Gurdal, C., Sevinc Tok, E., & Sorias, O. (2018). The Impact of Early Losses, Attechment, Temperament-character Traits and Affect Regulation on the Devolepment of Psychopathology. Turk psykiyatri derg. 29(3), 180-192. https://doi.org/10.5080/u19405
Hajkhodadadi, D., Etamadi, O., Abedi, M., & Jazayeri, R. S. (2021). The effectiveness of triple-p (positive parenting program) on effective parenting and quality of child-parent relationship in mothers with adolescents. Journal of Psychological Sciences, 20(98), 185-198. http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-805-en.html[Persian]
Hashemi, S., Arefi, M., Kakabraei, K., & Chehri, A. (2022). Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation, Conflict Management and Sexual Intimacy in The Relationship between Merital Adjusstment and Personality Traits. Psychological Achievements Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, 29(1), 231-250. https://doi.org/10.22055/psy.2022.40111.2799 [Persian]
Hosni, J. (2011). The Psychometric properties of the Cognitive Regulation of Emotion Questionnaire. Clinical Psychology Quarterly (CERQ), 2(3), 73-84. https://doi.org/10.22075/JCP.2017.2031 [Persian]
Howe, S. L., & Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J. (2022). Person-Centered Maternal Emotion Socialization and Child Temperament: Relation to Children’s Emotion Regulation and Anxiety and Depressive Symptomes. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 31, 2644-2659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826022-02289-y
Kakabraei, K., Habibi, Asgharabadi, M., & Fadai, Z. (2007). Normative of Eishenbach Behavioral Problems Scale (YSR): self-report from of 11-18 years old children and adolescents on aecondary level students. Research in Psychological Health, 1(14), 50-66. [Persian]
Kang, N. R., & Kwack, Y. S. (2019). Temperament and Character Profiles Associated with Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Psychiatry Investig, 16(3), 206-212. https://doi.org/10.30773/pi.2019.01.10.1
Karnilowicz, H. R., Mauss, I., & Zhou, Q. (2022). Links Between Emotion Regulation Stratrgies and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Chines American Adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 32 (4), 1626-1634. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12723
Kaviani, H., & Poor Naseh, M. (2008). Validation of temperament and character inventory (TCL) In Iranian sample: Normative Data. Tehran University Medical Journal. 63(2), 89-98. (Text in Persian). http://tumj.tums.ac.ir/article-1-1033-en.html [Persian]
Khoshfetrat, A., Scully, D., & Fassbender, C. (2022). Effects of behavioral inhibition/activation systems on anger rumination and anger expression through Difficulty in Emotion Regulation. Personality and Individual Difference, 191(10), 111574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2022.111574
Lanfredi, M., Macis, A., Ferrai, C., Meloni, S., Pedrini, L., Redolfi, M. E., Zonca, V., Cattane, N., Cattaneo, A., & Rossi, R. (2021). Maladaptive behaviours in adolescence and their associations with personality traits, emotion dysregulation and other clinical features in a sampele of Italian students: a cross-sectional study. Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul, 8(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-021-00154-w
Leaberry, K. D. (2020). Reactive and regulative temperament dimensione, emotion regulation, and concurrent internalizing and externalizing pathology among youth with ADHD. Electronic Theses and Dissertation, 3476.
Liew, J., Morris, A. S., & Kerr, K. L. (2023). Emotion regulation processes as transdiagnostic in adolescence and early adulthood: A neurobioecological systems framework. In L. J. Crokett, G. Carlo, & J. E. Schulenberg (Eds), APA handbook of adolescent and young adult development. 91-106. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000298-006
Lindsey, E. W. (2021). Emotion Regulation with Parents and Friends and Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior. Children, 8(4), 299. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8040299
Liu, C., Chen, L., & Chen, S. (2020). Influence of Neuroticism on Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Adolescents: The Mediation Effects of Cognitive emotion Regulation Strategies. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 420. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00420
Manninen, M., Koivukangas, J., Holm, M., & Lindgren, M. (2022). Lifetime psychiatric diagnoses among adolescents with severe conduct problems – A register based follow-up study. Child Abuse & Neglect, 131, 105765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105765
Meric, D. (2020) The Mediator Role Emotion Regulation on the Relationship between Temperament and problem Behaviors. Bogazici University, 119.
Minaei, A. (2005). Normative assessment system based on Achenbach’s experience: Tehran: Publications of Organization for Education and Development of Exceptional Children. [Persian]
Moreira, P. A. S., Inman, R. A., & Cloninger, C. R., (2021). Personality Networks Emotional and Behavioral Problems: Integrating Temprament and Character Using Latent Profile and Latent Class Analyses. Child Psychiatry & Development, 52(1744), 856-868. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-020-01063-9
Nomamiukor, F. O., Suresky, R. E., May, C. L., & Wisco, B. E. (2022). Understanding internalizing and externalizing symptoms in trauma exposed community members. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Reserarch, Practice, and Policy. 16(1), 98-106. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001388
Norman, U. A., Truijens, F., Desmet, M., Meganck, R. (2023). Depreesive personality trait and temperament and character personality traits in a clinical sample: Results from regression and network analyses, Acta Psychologica .234,103860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.103860
Ozdemir, K., Sahin, S., Guler, D. S., Unsal, A., & Akdemir, N. (2020). Depresion, Enxity, and fear of death in postmenopausal women. Menopause, 27(9), 1030-1036. https://doi.org/10.1097/GMI.0000000000001578
Razaghpour, M., & Hosseinzadeh, A. A. (2019). The mediating role of Cognetive Emotion Regulation Strategies in the relationship between personality traits with somatization symptoms of female university students. Quarterly of Applied Psychologhy, 13(2), 295-316. https://doi.org/10.29252/APSY.13.2.295 [Persian]
Rezaei, Z; Akbari, M; Ahmadian, H; & Yarahmadi, Y (2021). Modeling of behavioral problems based on parent-child Conflicts and family process. MEJDS, 11, 56-56. https://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-2435-fa.html  [Persian]
Rueth, J. E., & Lohaus, A. (2022). Process-Oriented Measurement of Emotion Regulation: Genrral and Specific Associations with Psychosocial Adjustment and Well-Being in (Pre-) Adolescence. Front. Psychiatry, 13, 9043389. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.904389
Salehi, S. N., Eftekhar Saadi, Z., Hafezi, F., & Borna, M. R. (2021). Effects of Emotion Regulation Skills Training on Self-Efficacy, Resilience, and Hope in Famale Students with Nonclinical Depression. MEJDS, 11, 96-96. https://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-2255-fa.html
Sammehr, V., Manisefat, F., Khademi, A., Khademi, F., & Shabani, R. A. (2022). comparative analysis of the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy and hypnotherapy on improving emotional cognitive regulation and communication skills of adolescents with oppositional defiant disorder. Journal of Psychology and Psychiatry, 9(1), 57-72. https://doi.org/10.32598/shenakht.9.1.57 [Persian]
Sheikhi Garakoui, S., Abolghasemi, A., & Khosrojavid, M. (2021). The Effective of Emotional Regulation Training on Externalized-Internalized Problems in Famale Students with Intermittent Eplosive Disorder. Research in Clinical Psychology and Counseling, 11(1), 21-40. https://doi.org/10.22067/TPCCP.2021.67942.1010 [Persian]
Teuber, Z., Schreiber, S., Rueth, J. E., & Lohaus, A. (2022). Emotion regulation among Chinese and German children and adolescents: a binational comparative study, Current Psychology. 42, 24641-24655. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03578-x
Tozande Jani, H., & Abhar Zanjani, F. (2020). The mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation in relation to temperamental characteristics and cognitive distortion with anger control of a bullid student. Journal of New Advances in Psychology, Training and Education, 2)19), 77-86. [Persian]
Wytykowska, A., Fajkowska, M., & Skimina, E. (2022). Taking a person-centered approach to cognitive emotion regulation: A latent-profile analysis of temperament and anxiety and depression types. Personality and Individual Differences, 189, 111489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.111489
Zagaria, A., Vacca, M., Cerolini, S., Terrasi, M., Bacaro, V., Ballesio, A., Baglioni, C., Spinhoven, p., & Lombardo, C. (2023). Differentiol Associations of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies with Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia in Adolescence and Early Adulthood. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 20(10), 5857. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105857
Zemestani, M., & Fazeli Nikoo, Z, (2020). Effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for comorbid depression and anxity in pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. Archives of Women’s Mental Healt, 23(2), 207-214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-019-00962-8