Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 7, 2025

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
07:01

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

8.3K

Self-control in early childhood: Individual differences in sensitivity to early parenting

Terry Ng-Knight1, Ingrid Schoon2

  • 1School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.

Journal of Personality
|September 30, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Parent-child relationship quality and infant temperament, specifically behavioral inhibition, influence preschool self-control. High behavioral inhibition may benefit self-control development in mother-child conflict situations.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Parent-child relationship quality is crucial for children's self-control development.
  • Infant temperament, particularly behavioral inhibition, may moderate these associations.
  • Existing models (diathesis-stress, vantage-sensitivity, differential susceptibility) inform understanding of individual differences in environmental sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate infant temperament as a moderator of the link between parent-child relationship quality and preschool self-control.
  • To specifically examine the moderating role of behavioral inhibition.
  • To test assumptions from diathesis-stress, vantage-sensitivity, and differential susceptibility models.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a large, nationally representative UK birth cohort.
  • Included 18,552 infants born in 2000/01.
  • Analyzed the association between parent-child relationship quality, infant temperament (behavioral inhibition), and children's self-control.

Main Results:

  • Both mother-child and father-child relationship quality are associated with children's self-control.
  • Infant temperament moderates the relationship between mother-child conflict and self-control.
  • High behavioral inhibition demonstrated a vantage-sensitivity pattern concerning mother-child conflict.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal and paternal relationship aspects independently predict self-control variations.
  • Behavioral inhibition, often linked to anxiety, may offer benefits for young children's self-control development.
  • Findings support nuanced understanding of temperament and environmental influences on child development.
Abstract

Keywords:
behavioral inhibitiondifferential susceptibilityeffortful controlmother/father-child relationshipself-controltemperamentvantage-sensitivity

More Related Videos

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood08:09

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

Published on: February 11, 2017

11.9K
Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System ANS Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges08:22

Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System ANS Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges

Published on: February 25, 2016

15.8K

Related Concept Videos

Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
306
Self-Regulation01:25

Self-Regulation

Self-regulation, also known as self-control, encompasses a range of cognitive and behavioral processes that allow individuals to adjust their internal states and outward actions to align with socially acceptable norms and long-term goals. It plays a fundamental role in adaptive functioning, from resisting impulsive behaviors to persisting through challenging tasks. While its benefits are widely recognized, self-regulation is not limitless. Muraven and Baumeister's theory posits that...
138
Relationship with Parents: Attachment01:28

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
140
Adler's Individual Psychology01:28

Adler's Individual Psychology

Alfred Adler, a prominent figure in psychology, founded the school of individual psychology. In contrast to Freud's emphasis on sexual or aggressive motives, Adler suggested that individuals are primarily motivated by their purposes and goals. He believed that people strive for perfection rather than pleasure. Adler argued that individuals could creatively act upon their genetic inheritance and environmental experiences to shape their own lives, emphasizing conscious motivation over...
1.9K
Sources of Self-Esteem I: Family Experience01:18

Sources of Self-Esteem I: Family Experience

Self-esteem, a crucial component of psychological development, is significantly shaped by familial experiences. The early parent-child relationship serves as a foundational influence on a child's self-concept, with long-lasting effects extending into adolescence and adulthood.Parental Behaviors and Early Self-Esteem FormationEmpirical studies have identified four principal parental behaviors that foster healthy self-esteem in children. These include expressions of acceptance, affection, and...
112
Parenting Styles01:27

Parenting Styles

Diana Baumrind's four parenting styles — authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive — each influence children's socio-emotional development differently.
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
469