Self-Regulation in Preschool: Examining Its Factor Structure and Associations with Pre-Academic Skills and Social-Emotional Competence

• Published in: Frontiers in psychology Vol. 12; p. 717317
• Main Authors: Korucu, Irem, Ayturk, Ezgi, Finders, Jennifer K, Schnur, Gina, Bailey, Craig S, Tominey, Shauna L, Schmitt, Sara A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 18.01.2022
• Subjects: Achievement Tests; behavioral self-regulation; bifactor model; Child Behavior; Child Development; emotion regulation; Emotional Development; Executive Function; Literacy; Mathematics Skills; Measures (Individuals); Metacognition; pre-academic skills; Predictor Variables; Preschool Children; Psychology; Rating Scales; Self Control; Social Development; social-emotional competence; emotion regulation; bifactor model; pre-academic skills; social-emotional competence; behavioral self-regulation; executive function
• ISSN: 1664-1078; 1664-1078
• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.717317

Self-regulation in early childhood is an important predictor of success across a variety of indicators in life, including health, well-being, and earnings. Although conceptually self-regulation has been defined as multifaceted, previous research has not investigated whether there is conceptual and empirical overlap between the factors that comprise self-regulation or if they are distinct. In this study, using a bifactor model, we tested the shared and unique variance among self-regulation constructs and prediction to pre-academic and social-emotional skills. The sample included 932 preschool children ( M[subscript age] = 48 months, SD = 6.55; 49% female), their parents, and their teachers in the United States. Children's self-regulation was assessed using measures of executive function, behavioral self-regulation, and emotion regulation. The bifactor model demonstrated a common overarching self-regulation factor, as well as distinct executive function and emotion regulation factors. The common overarching self-regulation factor and executive function predicted children's pre-academic (i.e., mathematics and literacy) and social-emotional skills. The emotion regulation factor predicted children's social-emotional skills. Identifying the shared and unique aspects of self-regulation may have important implications for supporting children's regulatory skills as well as their success in school.