Toward a Unifying Model of Self‐regulation: A Developmental Approach

Abstract

The ability to self-regulate is key to healthy, competent functioning. The breadth of evidence supporting the importance of self-regulation is matched by such a diversity of terms, concepts, measures, and levels of analysis that the National Institutes of Health called for progress toward a unifying model. In this article, we review a lineage of conceptual models and suggest a path toward a more unifying model of self-regulation that encompasses both the dynamics of moment-to-moment changes and age-related change. Drawing from these models, we define self-regulation as the influence of the recruitment of executive processes (EP) on prepotent responses (PR). We define these terms, locating self-regulation in the dynamic relations between PR and EP, and offer a theoretical-mathematical approach to testing this model.

“Food” and “non-food” self-regulation in childhood: a review and reciprocal analysis

“…Despite this complexity, there is some agreement about core constructs and processes in general selfregulation. Much of this agreement is captured in the reviews by Cole et al [68] Gagne [24], Nigg [3] and Bridgett et al [71], from which the core features of what Nigg [3] described as a domain-general model of selfregulation can be outlined. From these reviews and other literature, there appear to be four main elements of a domain-general model of self-regulation.…”

“…However, self-control and other concepts such as delay-of-gratification, temporal discounting, inhibitory control, executive functioning, effortful control, cognitive control "have all been related to, and are often treated as synonymous with, self-regulation" ([68] p. 91). At the broadest level, self-regulation/self-control has been conceived as involving an ability, capacity or use of strategies to override or change one's inner responses such as desires or impulses, as well as to interrupt undesired behavioral tendencies and refrain from acting on them [69], "the process or behavior of overcoming a temptation or prepotent response in favor of a competing goal (either concurrent or longer term)" ([67] p. 80), or as executive processes modulating prepotent responses [68].…”

“…While there seems to be broad definitional agreement, a number of reviews have summarized differences in the core constructs, measures or definitions pertaining to GSR in childhood, such as EF, EC, self-regulation, inhibitory control and delay-of-gratification [3,24,68,70]. In terms of the precise definitions of self-regulation and its central constructs, there can be considerable differences as shown by Cole et al's [68] table of selected theories and definitions of self-regulation, a parallel table by Nigg [3] and other critical analyses (e.g., [67]). Cole et al ([68] p. 91) noted that the US National Institutes of Health "lamented the plethora of terms, conceptualizations, and methods used to define and study self-regulation", arguing that this hindered our understanding of the basic mechanisms associated with important health and developmental outcomes.…”

Development of Emotion Regulation Dynamics Across Early Childhood: a Multiple Time-Scale Approach

“…Most models of self-regulation propose that the engagement of executive processes, such as attention control and languagemediated reasoning, can delay, minimize, or end enactment of prepotent responses (Cole, Ram, & English, 2019). Prepotent responses are behaviors that are highly probable in specific circumstances, such as frustration when a goal is blocked (Arnold, 1960;Dillon & Pizzagalli, 2007;Miyake et al, 2000).…”

Patience! How to Assess and Strengthen Self-Control

“…Self-control entails the ability to regulate emotions, attention, and behavior when conflict emerges between two competing options, one available immediately, and one delayed into the future (Baumeister et al, 2007;Duckworth et al, 2019). Self-regulated learning, in contrast, focuses on the strategies used to monitor progress, obtain feedback, and garner support in the service of attaining social-emotional and academic goals (Cole et al, 2018). The key difference, then, is that self-control-but not selfregulated learning-always involves a conflict experienced and managed by the individual between short-and long-term goals.…”