Proximal and distal predictors of self-regulatory change in children aged 4 to 7 years
Background Growth in early self-regulation skills has been linked to positive health, wellbeing, and achievement trajectories across the lifespan. While individual studies have documented specific influences on self-regulation competencies in early childhood, few have modelled a comprehensive range of predictors of self-regulation change across health, development, and environment simultaneously. This study aimed to examine the concurrent associations among a range of proximal and distal influences on change in children’s self-regulation skills over 2 years from age 4-5 years.
Methods Data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (N= 4983) were used in a structural equation model, predicting a multi-source composite measure of self-regulation at each of 4-5 years and 6-7 years. By controlling for earlier self-regulation and covariates, the model examined the relative contributions of a comprehensive range of variables to self-regulation change including health, development, educational, home environment, time-use, and neighbourhood characteristics.
Results The significant predictors of children’s self-regulation growth across 4 to 7 years were fewer behavioural sleep problems, higher gross motor and pre-academic skills, lower levels of maternal and paternal angry parenting, and lower levels of financial hardship. There were also marginal effects for high-quality home learning environments and child-educator relationships.
Conclusion Findings suggest that if we are to successfully foster children’s self-regulation skills, interventionists would do well to operate not only on children’s current capacities but also key aspects of their surrounding context.
Figure 1
Posted 15 May, 2020
On 30 Apr, 2020
On 29 Apr, 2020
On 10 Mar, 2020
On 29 Apr, 2020
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Received 17 Apr, 2020
Invitations sent on 13 Apr, 2020
On 12 Apr, 2020
On 11 Apr, 2020
On 11 Apr, 2020
On 04 Apr, 2020
Received 30 Mar, 2020
On 17 Mar, 2020
Received 17 Mar, 2020
On 12 Mar, 2020
Invitations sent on 12 Mar, 2020
On 10 Mar, 2020
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On 09 Mar, 2020
On 05 Mar, 2020
Proximal and distal predictors of self-regulatory change in children aged 4 to 7 years
Posted 15 May, 2020
On 30 Apr, 2020
On 29 Apr, 2020
On 10 Mar, 2020
On 29 Apr, 2020
On 17 Apr, 2020
Received 17 Apr, 2020
Invitations sent on 13 Apr, 2020
On 12 Apr, 2020
On 11 Apr, 2020
On 11 Apr, 2020
On 04 Apr, 2020
Received 30 Mar, 2020
On 17 Mar, 2020
Received 17 Mar, 2020
On 12 Mar, 2020
Invitations sent on 12 Mar, 2020
On 10 Mar, 2020
On 09 Mar, 2020
On 09 Mar, 2020
On 05 Mar, 2020
Background Growth in early self-regulation skills has been linked to positive health, wellbeing, and achievement trajectories across the lifespan. While individual studies have documented specific influences on self-regulation competencies in early childhood, few have modelled a comprehensive range of predictors of self-regulation change across health, development, and environment simultaneously. This study aimed to examine the concurrent associations among a range of proximal and distal influences on change in children’s self-regulation skills over 2 years from age 4-5 years.
Methods Data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (N= 4983) were used in a structural equation model, predicting a multi-source composite measure of self-regulation at each of 4-5 years and 6-7 years. By controlling for earlier self-regulation and covariates, the model examined the relative contributions of a comprehensive range of variables to self-regulation change including health, development, educational, home environment, time-use, and neighbourhood characteristics.
Results The significant predictors of children’s self-regulation growth across 4 to 7 years were fewer behavioural sleep problems, higher gross motor and pre-academic skills, lower levels of maternal and paternal angry parenting, and lower levels of financial hardship. There were also marginal effects for high-quality home learning environments and child-educator relationships.
Conclusion Findings suggest that if we are to successfully foster children’s self-regulation skills, interventionists would do well to operate not only on children’s current capacities but also key aspects of their surrounding context.
Figure 1