Relations from temperamental approach reactivity and effortful control to academic achievement and peer relations in early elementary school

•No authors have examined whether there are interactions among dimensions of approach reactivity.•We test relations from approach reactivity and effortful control (EC) to achievement and popularity.•Girls' frustration was positively related to achievement and negatively related to popularity.•For children with high EC, frustration, or positive emotion, impulsivity positively predicted GPA.

The goal of the current study was to examine relations from temperamental approach reactivity (i.e., impulsivity, frustration, and positive affect) and effortful control (EC; 42 and 54 months) to teachers' reports of academic achievement and popularity (72 and 84 months). Frustration was positively related to achievement and negatively related to popularity for girls, but unrelated to boys' outcomes. Interactions suggested that, among children with high EC or emotional approach (frustration or positive emotion), impulsivity positively predicted achievement. Few gender differences in interactions were noted. These results provide insight into the dynamics relations from temperament/personality to children's academic and social adjustment.