Relations between self‐regulation and behavioral adjustment in Chinese American immigrant children during early elementary school years

Abstract

The present study examined associations between sociocultural factors and self‐regulation (parent‐report, teacher‐report, laboratory tasks), and prospective relations between self‐regulation and behavioral adjustment (parent‐, teacher‐, child‐report) in a socioeconomically diverse sample of Chinese American children in immigrant families (N = 258, Wave 1 age = 6–9 years, Wave 2 age = 9–11 years, 52% boys, 57% low‐income) in a longitudinal study (2007–2011) during early elementary school years. Family income uniquely related to a self‐regulation latent factor ( = .22), and parent–child Chinese orientation gaps were associated with parent‐reported effortful control ( = .40). Self‐regulation at W1 negatively predicted parent‐ and teacher‐reported behavioral maladjustment ( = −.22 and −.48) at W2, controlling for cross‐time stability of both constructs and covariates (child sex, parental education).