Negative emotionality often has been associated with both internalizing and externalizing problems (Lemery et al., 2002; Lengua et al., 1998). It has been argued that personality neuroticism contributes to both types of symptoms, as well as to their co-occurrence (e.g., Khan, Jacobson, Gardner, Prescott, & Kendler, 2005). However, it has been suggested that there is some specificity in the nature of the relation between negative emotionality and maladjustment, such that externalizing problems typically are associated with anger and irritability, whereas internalizing problems are associated with sadness and fear (Rothbart & Bates, 2006).
