Self‐Regulation as the Interface of Emotional and Cognitive Development

Factor structure of self-regulation in preschoolers: Testing models of a field-based assessment for predicting early school readiness

“…Finally, our findings underscore the potential usefulness of multi-faceted self-regulation-related programming for preschoolers (Blair et al, 2010), such as Tools of the Mind (Barnett et al, 2008; Bodrova & Leong, 2007; Diamond, Barnett, Thomas, & Munro, 2007), potentially not only for proximal outcomes in self-regulation, but also for broader school readiness outcomes in school adjustment and social competence domains. At the same time, in agreement with Willoughby and colleagues’ assertion (2011), our findings also point to a greater role for programming relevant to HEC, such as Preschool PATHS (Domitrovich, Cortes, & Greenberg, 2007).…”

“…Exemplifying these contrasting approaches, some theorists consider that a most important distinction is between (a) cortically controlled executive function – maintaining and internally guiding behavior via specific information processing strategies, without immediate reinforcement, while inhibiting automatized or prepotent responses to stimuli; and (b) subcortically controlled, temperamentally-based effortful control – quickly inhibiting a dominant response to perform a subdominant one, in the face of reward or punishment (Blair, Calkins, & Kopp, 2010; Raver, Jones, Li-Grining, Zhai, Bub, & Pressler, 2011). Others may, for example, give more weight to individual differences in temperamental effortful control and motivation (giving less consideration to executive function; e.g., Kochanska & Aksan, 2006), or on other definitions of executive function or executive attention.…”

Longitudinal Relations Among Parents' Reactions to Children's Negative Emotions, Effortful Control, and Math Achievement in Early Elementary School

“…Early mastery of regulatory skills and early achievement are theorized to be mutually reinforcing (Blair et al., ), yet empirical tests of reciprocal relations are few (Poehlmann et al, ), and have not previously been tested in elementary school. We show that cross‐grade associations existed between EC and math achievement at K and G1 in both directions in the full model.…”

“…Effortful control (EC), an attentional, behavioral, and emotional‐regulation component of temperament, is an aspect of self‐regulation that is associated with facets of academic functioning (Blair, Calkins, & Kopp, ), including achievement, close relationships with teachers and schoolmates, and engagement in school (e.g., Blair & Razza, ; Deater‐Deckard, Mullineaux, Petrill, & Thompson, ; Valiente, Lemery‐Chalfant, Swanson, & Reiser, ). Consequently, more fully delineating how caregivers can promote the development of EC is important, with implications for educators and legislators (Blair et al., ). Moreover, fostering these skills during the early years of formal schooling when achievement motivation and affective connectedness to school are being established may jump‐start positive academic trajectories.…”

“…Math‐related skills and EC skills are likely to influence each other markedly during this time. Cognitive capacities associated with the promotion of achievement are expected to foster the development of EC, particularly in early childhood (Blair et al., ), perhaps because focusing attention and inhibiting distraction are central components of both academic performance and EC. Modeling longitudinal bidirectional paths may elucidate directionality regarding EC and achievement in young children.…”