The Development of Self-Regulation Across Cultures and Context: Predictors and Sources of Influence

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Self-regulation is a key developmental task important for later academic and social competence. This symposium includes four presentations of self-regulation development among young children in four different cultural contexts: the United States, Norway, Portugal, and Germany. We highlight similarities and differences in determinants of self-regulation development, the relation between self-regulation and later competence in social and language domains, and the effects of a teacher-focused intervention on improving self-regulation and language skills.

The first two presentations focus on demographic determinants of self-regulation development in the U.S. versus Norway (Paper 1) and in a sample of Spanish-English dual language learners (DLLs) from three geographic locations in the U.S. (Paper 2). Both studies utilized the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders (HTKS) task to measure behavioral self-regulation. Paper 1 demonstrates measurement invariance for the HTKS between the U.S. and Norway. While maternal education predicted HTKS performance for the U.S. sample in Paper 1 as well as the DLL U.S. sample presented in Paper 2, it was not a significant predictor of HTKS performance for the Norway sample.

Paper 3 examines whether individual differences in self-regulation among Portugese toddlers is predictive of subsequent differences in engagement, social competence, and language. Findings indicate that greater skills in selective attention, working memory and inhibitory control at age 30 months were associated with better teacher-reported cooperation and expressive language. Finally, Paper 4 reports findings from a large scale trial of a teacher training intervention indicating that better self-regulation went along with better language development in both the treatment and the control group.

Sub Unit

• Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Chairs

• Margaret O'Brien Caughy, University of Georgia

• Megan M McClelland, Oregon State University - Corvallis

Individual Presentations

• Children`s Self-Regulation in Norway and the United States: The Role of Gender and Maternal Education - Presenting Author: Ragnhild Lenes, University of Stavanger; Non-Presenting Author: Megan M McClelland, Oregon State University - Corvallis; Non-Presenting Author: Christopher Gonzales, University of California - Davis; Non-Presenting Author: Ingunn Størksen, University of Stavanger

• Self-Regulation Development Among Young Spanish Dual Language Learners: A Four Site Study - Presenting Author: Margaret O'Brien Caughy, University of Georgia; Non-Presenting Author: Dawn Yvette Brinkley, University of Georgia; Non-Presenting Author: Raul Rojas, University of Texas at Dallas; Non-Presenting Author: Alicia Miao, Oregon Early Learning Division; Non-Presenting Author: Mariah M. Contreras, Tufts University; Non-Presenting Author: Megan M McClelland, Oregon State University - Corvallis

• Self-Regulation in Portuguese Toddlers and Its Effects on Social and Language Skills - Presenting Author: Carolina Guedes, University of Porto; Non-Presenting Author: Joana Cadima, Universidade do Porto

• Behavioral Self-Regulation in a Language Enhancement Intervention for the Educators of German 3- to 5-Year-Olds - Presenting Author: Katharina Voltmer, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg; Non-Presenting Author: Maria von Salisch, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg