Relations of maternal socialization and toddlers' effortful control to children's adjustment and social competence.
- 1 September 2007
- journal article
- Published by American Psychological Association (APA) in Developmental Psychology
- Vol. 43 (5), 1170-1186
- https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.43.5.1170
Abstract
The authors examined the relations of maternal supportive parenting to effortful control and internalizing problems (i.e., separation distress, inhibition to novelty), externalizing problems, and social competence when toddlers were 18 months old (n = 256) and a year later (n = 230). Mothers completed the Coping With Toddlers' Negative Emotions Scale, and their sensitivity and warmth were observed. Toddlers' effortful control was measured with a delay task and adults' reports (Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire). Toddlers' social functioning was assessed with the Infant/Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment. Within each age, children's regulation significantly mediated the relation between supportive parenting and low levels of externalizing problems and separation distress, and high social competence. When using stronger tests of mediation, controlling for stability over time, the authors found only partial evidence for mediation. The findings suggest these relations may be set at an early age.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Institute of Mental Health (5 R01 MH060838)
This publication has 36 references indexed in Scilit:
- Development of attentional networks in childhoodNeuropsychologia, 2004
- Links Between Systems of Inhibition From Infancy to Preschool YearsChild Development, 2004
- Emotion‐Related Regulation: Sharpening the DefinitionChild Development, 2004
- The Development of Self‐Regulation in the First Four Years of LifeChild Development, 2001
- The Relations of Regulation and Emotionality to Children's Externalizing and Internalizing Problem BehaviorChild Development, 2001
- Early externalizing behavior problems: Toddlers and preschoolers at risk for later maladjustmentDevelopment and Psychopathology, 2000
- Evidence for the Continuity of Early Problem Behaviors: Application of a Developmental ModelJournal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 1998
- Parents' reactions to children's negative emotions: relations to children's social competence and comforting behavior.1996
- The development of emotion regulation and dysregulation: a clinical perspective.1994
- Self-regulation and emotion in infancyNew Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 1992