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Verbal self-regulation over time in preschool children at risk for attention and behavior problems
A Winsler1, R M Diaz, D J Atencio
1Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444, USA. awinsler@gmu.edu
Insights
Behaviorally at-risk preschoolers use more private speech, a key indicator of self-regulation. Developmental changes in private speech link to cognitive skills, not just behavior problems.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Behavioral self-regulation is crucial for academic success.
- Preschoolers at risk for behavioral issues may exhibit differences in cognitive and linguistic development.
- Understanding private speech can offer insights into self-regulation strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate behavioral self-regulation, private speech, and speech-action coordination in behaviorally at-risk preschoolers.
- To compare these factors between at-risk and typically developing children over time.
- To examine the relationship between developmental changes in private speech and executive functions.
Main Methods:
- Prospective longitudinal study of 72 preschoolers (at-risk vs. comparison group).
- Children videotaped over 2 years during problem-solving tasks.
- Analysis of private speech, task performance, executive functioning, and speech-action coordination.
Main Results:
- Behaviorally at-risk children used more spontaneous private speech than controls.
- Both groups showed increased silence with task success.
- No group differences in speech-action coordination at age 5.
- Developmental changes in private speech correlated with task performance, executive functioning, and speech-action coordination at age 5.
Conclusions:
- Spontaneous private speech may be a compensatory mechanism for behaviorally at-risk children.
- Private speech development is linked to cognitive and executive functions, not solely problem behaviors.
- Early identification of behavioral risk is predictive of later difficulties.
Abstract:
This study is a prospective, longitudinal attempt to explore behavioral self-regulation, private speech, and speech-action coordination in a sample of behaviorally at-risk preschool children. Preschoolers (N = 72) were classified at age 3 years into a behaviorally at-risk group or a comparison group on the basis of preschool teacher behavioral ratings. Children were videotaped on four different occasions across the span of almost 2 years as they completed problem-solving tasks, and private speech, task performance, executive functioning, and speech-action coordination were analyzed. Children identified 2 years earlier as being hard to manage were at risk for continued behavior problems at elementary school entry. Behaviorally at-risk children consistently used more spontaneous private speech than comparison children across all observations. Both groups of children demonstrated a pattern of increasing silence with task success over time. No group differences were observed in children's speech-action coordination at age 5 years. Intraindividual developmental changes in private speech for both groups were associated with task performance, speech-action coordination, and executive functioning at age 5, but not with teacher- and parent-reported problem behavior.