Temperamental surgency and emotion regulation as predictors of childhood social competence

► This study examined child surgency, emotion regulation, and social behaviors. ► Emotion regulation moderated the relation between surgency and social behaviors. ► High surgent children high in social support seeking were less aggressive. ► Low surgent children high in distraction/self-soothing showed behavioral wariness. ► High surgent children high in distraction/self-soothing were less socially competent.