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Updated: Jul 7, 2026
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Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Parenting, coparenting, and effortful control in preschoolers
Annemiek Karreman1, Cathy van Tuijl, Marcel A G van Aken
1Department of Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. A.Karreman@uu.nl
Summary
Parenting and coparenting significantly influence preschoolers' effortful control. Coparenting uniquely predicts this crucial self-regulation skill, highlighting the importance of family dynamics in early childhood development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Family Studies
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Effortful control is a key aspect of early childhood self-regulation.
- Understanding factors influencing effortful control is crucial for child development.
- Parenting and coparenting dynamics are recognized as significant influences on child outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationships between parenting, coparenting, and preschoolers' effortful control.
- To determine the predictive power of parenting and coparenting on effortful control.
- To examine the unique contribution of coparenting to effortful control.
Main Methods:
- Study included 89 families with 2 parents and 36-month-old children.
- Data collected through direct observation and parent-report questionnaires.
- Statistical analyses examined relations among parenting, coparenting, and effortful control.
Main Results:
- Maternal parenting, paternal parenting, and coparenting were all related to preschoolers' effortful control.
- Coparenting demonstrated a unique contribution to effortful control, independent of individual parenting.
- The predictive strength of parenting and coparenting was higher when using consistent measurement methods.
Conclusions:
- Both individual parenting and coparenting are important for developing preschoolers' effortful control.
- Coparenting plays a distinct role in fostering children's self-regulation skills.
- Future research should incorporate triadic family processes to fully understand parenting's impact on child development.
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