The Emergence and Consolidation of Self-Control from Eighteen to Thirty Months of Age: Normative Trends and Individual Differences

Abstract

This study is a descriptive report of the capability to exercise self-control in very young children. 2 aspects of self-control were assessed (delay/response inhibition in the presence of an attractive stimulus and compliance with maternal directives in a cleanup task) for 72 children between the ages of 18 and 30 months. The results indicated that both aspects of self-control show age-related increases. However, a factor analysis of the behaviors observed in the cleanup task suggested that compliance could not be adequately described with a unitary, bipolar dimension (noncompliance vs. compliance). 2 patterns of non-compliance were observed, and 1 of these also increased with age. Cross-task consistency for the delay measures) and coherence across the 2 aspects of self-control showed a positive relationship with increasing age. Finally, correlational analyses of the self-control measures and developmental test data showed that individual differences in self-control were associated with differences in cognitive-developmental status (DA). The results are interpreted as evidence that the achievement of self-control can be considered as a major developmental accomplishment and as evidence that individual differences in self-control emerge and are consolidated during the second and third years of life.

Helping Young Children to Delay Gratification

“…As children grow, so does their ability to delay gratification. A study comparing the ability to delay gratification of 18-, 24-, and 30-month old children found that, whereas 18-month old infants had no ability to resist the temptation of touching a toy telephone, 24-month children can refrain from their desire to eat raisins placed in front of them for a minute, and 30-month children waited for almost 2 min to open a gift box (Vaughn et al 1984; see also Kochanska et al 2001). Mischel (1986) found the ability to delay gratification was developed throughout the years in primary education, and by the age of 10-12, children learn to sacrifice an immediate incentive for larger or more attractive ones in the future.…”

Emotional and attentional predictors of self-regulation in early childhood

“…The most flexible and adaptive stage of self-regulation develops after the third birthday. The stages of the development of self-regulation described by Kopp (1982) were also empirically confirmed (Harma, Rothbart, & Posner, 1997;Kochanska, Coy, & Murray, 2001;Rothbart, Ellis, & Posner, 2004;van der Mark, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & van Ijzendoorn, 2002;Vaughn, Kopp, & Krakow, 1984). However, one can argue (see also Kmita, 2013) that even early self-regulatory functions go behind simple self-control or self-restraint behaviors, so we use the term 'self-regulation' to describe regulatory functions in early childhood, using the Kopp's term 'selfcontrol' only to describe children's control of their own behavior (like self-restraint or compliance).…”

Stability and Change in Self-Control during the Transition to Parenthood

“…Research on child development has shown that relatively stable individual differences already emerge between the ages of 6 to 12 months and that children show age-related increases in self-control (e.g., Kochanska, Murray, & Harlan, 2000;Vaughn, Kopp, & Krakow, 1984). In contrast, there is only little research on the development of self-control in adulthood.…”