ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION From positive emotionality to internalizing problems: the role of executive functioning in preschoolers Akhgar Ghassabian • Eszter Sze ´kely • Catherine M. Herba • Vincent W. Jaddoe • Albert Hofman • Albertine J. Oldehinkel • Frank C. Verhulst • Henning Tiemeier Received: 16 April 2013 / Accepted: 26 March 2014 / Published online: 13 April 2014 Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014 Abstract Temperament and psychopathology are inti- mately related; however, research on the prospective associations between positive emotionality, defined as a child’s positive mood states and high engagement with the environment, and psychopathology is inconclusive. We examined the longitudinal relation between positive emo- tionality and internalizing problems in young children from the general population. Furthermore, we explored whether executive functioning mediates any observed association. Within a population-based Dutch birth cohort, we observed positive emotionality in 802 children using the laboratory temperament assessment battery at age 3 years. Child behavior checklist (CBCL) internalizing problems (con- sisting of Emotionally Reactive, Anxious/Depressed, and Withdrawn scales) were assessed at age 6 years. Parents rated their children’s executive functioning at ages 4 years. Children with a lower positive emotionality at age 3 had a higher risk of withdrawn problems at age 6 years (OR = 1.20 per SD decrease in positive emotionality score, 95 % CI: 1.01, 1.42). This effect was not explained by preexisting internalizing problems. This association was partly mediated by more problems in the shifting domain of executive functioning (p \ 0.001). We did not find any relation between positive emotionality and the CBCL emotionally reactive or anxious/depressed scales. Although the effect sizes were moderate, our results suggest that low levels of positive emotionality at preschool age can result in children’s inflexibility and rigidity later in life. The inflexibility and rigidity are likely to affect the child’s drive to engage with the environment, and thereby lead to withdrawn problems. Further research is needed to repli- cate these findings. Keywords Temperament Á Positive emotionality Á Executive function Á Shifting Á Withdrawn Á Internalizing A. Ghassabian Á E. Sze ´kely The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands A. Ghassabian Á E. Sze ´kely Á C. M. Herba Á F. C. Verhulst Á H. Tiemeier (&) Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children’s Hospital, P.O. Box 2060, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands e-mail: h.tiemeier@erasmusmc.nl C. M. Herba Department of Psychology, Universite ´ du Que ´bec a ` Montre ´al, Montreal H3T 1C5, Canada C. M. Herba Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, H3T 1C5 Montre ´al, Canada V. W. Jaddoe Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children’s Hospital, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands V. W. Jaddoe Á A. Hofman Á H. Tiemeier Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands A. J. Oldehinkel Interdisciplinary Center for Pathology of Emotion, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands H. Tiemeier Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam 3000 CA, The Netherlands 123 Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry (2014) 23:729–741 DOI 10.1007/s00787-014-0542-y