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Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
08:09

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

Published on: February 11, 2017

Positive and negative peer interaction in 3- and 4-year-olds in relation to regulation and dysregulation

Geetha B Ramani1, Celia A Brownell, Susan B Campbell

  • 1University of Maryland, Department of Human Development, 3304 Benjamin Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. gramani@umd.edu

The Journal of Genetic Psychology
|September 15, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Childrens self-regulation, including impulse control and compliance, predicts positive peer interactions. Better regulation skills lead to more friendly play and less negative behavior with peers across different settings.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychology
  • Social Development

Background:

  • Early childhood self-regulation is crucial for social competence.
  • Understanding the link between regulation and peer interactions informs early intervention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between children's regulation/dysregulation and their peer interactions.
  • To investigate concurrent and longitudinal associations across different contexts.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care (N=435).
  • Derived measures of regulation from tasks (resistance to temptation, delay of gratification) and observations (compliance, defiance).
  • Assessed peer interactions through direct observation and maternal reports at 36 and 54 months.

Main Results:

  • Higher impulse control, compliance, and lower defiance predicted more positive and less negative peer interactions.
  • Associations were stronger and more consistent at 54 months compared to 36 months.
  • Early regulation (36 months) showed modest longitudinal prediction of later peer play (54 months).

Conclusions:

  • Developing self-regulation is vital for fostering positive early peer relationships.
  • Regulation skills significantly influence children's social behavior in peer contexts.
  • Findings highlight the importance of targeting self-regulation for promoting social competence in preschoolers.

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