Relation of emotion regulation and the school adjustment of Hong Kong young adolescents : peer support as a mediator

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between emotion regulation and school adjustment in Secondary One students, and the mediation effect of peer support on such relationship. A sample of 207 adolescents completed measures of school adjustment, peer support, and emotion regulation. Results revealed that the use of expressive suppression was negatively associated with all school adjustment variables (social, personal-emotional, and academic adjustment). Cognitive reappraisal was correlated with social and personal-emotional adjustment and the relations were mediated through peer support. Results suggested that the importance of adaptive emotion regulation strategy and peer support improves students’ adjustment during school transition. Implications for education provided to early adolescents in the Hong Kong context are discussed.