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Inhibitory Control Across the Preschool Years: Developmental Changes and Associations with Parenting

Sanne B Geeraerts1, Joyce J Endendijk1, Maja Deković1

  • 1Utrecht University.

Child Development
|August 9, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Parental sensitivity positively impacts children's initial inhibitory control. However, parental intrusiveness hinders its development over time. This study tracked 383 children's executive functions from ages 2.5 to 6.5.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychology
  • Parent-Child Interaction

Background:

  • Inhibitory control (IC) is a key executive function crucial for social and academic success.
  • Understanding the developmental trajectory of IC and its early influences is vital for intervention.
  • Parental behaviors, including sensitivity and intrusiveness, are hypothesized to shape child development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the normative developmental course of inhibitory control in early childhood (2.5–6.5 years).
  • To investigate the associations between maternal and paternal sensitivity and intrusiveness with children's IC development.
  • To analyze how parental behaviors predict both the initial level and the rate of change in children's IC.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study with 383 children assessed annually for four waves.
  • Parental reports on children's inhibitory control using the Children's Behavior Questionnaire.
  • Direct observation and coding of maternal and paternal sensitivity and intrusiveness using the Emotional Availability Scales in the first wave.

Main Results:

  • Inhibitory control showed a decelerating rate of increase over time, with partial scalar invariance.
  • Higher maternal and paternal sensitivity were associated with higher initial levels of children's inhibitory control.
  • Higher maternal and paternal intrusiveness predicted a slower developmental increase in children's inhibitory control.

Conclusions:

  • Parental sensitivity plays a crucial role in establishing a strong foundation for children's inhibitory control.
  • Parental intrusiveness can impede the natural development and growth of inhibitory control skills.
  • These findings highlight the importance of sensitive parenting for fostering executive functions in early childhood.

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