Exploring child positive affect in context: Links to internalizing and externalizing symptoms among preschoolers

Child positive affectivity (PA) remains an underexplored topic in temperament research, with varying findings on developmental outcomes potentially influenced by different measurement approaches. Employing a multi-method approach, this study investigated associations between child PA and internalizing and externalizing problems among 100 families with two siblings (mean age = 3.86). Child PA was measured using five scripted episodes from the preschool version of the Laboratory Temperament Assessment (Lab-TAB) battery, including Gift, End of the Line, Snack Delay, Corral of Balls, and Stranger Approach episodes, as well as a parent-rated questionnaire. The findings supported the heterogeneous nature of child PA as a function of both measurement approach and contextual specificity and revealed intriguing associations between PA and different profiles of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Implications for future studies are discussed.