Journal article
Examining self-regulation as a heterogeneous construct: A nuanced approach to understanding its relational antecedents
Attachment & human development
04/09/2026
DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2026.2655283
PMID: 41954444
Abstract
Secure attachment to parents is known to promote children's self-regulation (SR), but the mechanisms explaining its associations with different aspects of SR, particularly in high-risk families, remain underexplored. We investigated maternal and child responsiveness as parallel mediators linking early attachment security to later SR, assessed within and outside mother-child relationships, with 186 low-income mother-child dyads. Attachment security was assessed using the Attachment Q-Set at 2.5 years, maternal and child responsiveness were observed during mother-child interactions at 3.5 years, and SR was measured at 7 years as mother-related (internalized compliance) and decontextualized (set-shifting tasks). Results demonstrated that both maternal and child responsiveness mediated the relations between attachment security and mother-related SR. Indirect relations were non-significant or weaker for decontextualized SR. Findings highlight the importance of mutually responsive interactions, with a particular focus on children's active contributions, in accounting for links between early parent-child relationships and later relational regulatory capacities.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Examining self-regulation as a heterogeneous construct: A nuanced approach to understanding its relational antecedents
- Creators
- Juyoung Kim - University of IowaLilly C Bendel-Stenzel - University of IowaGrazyna Kochanska - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Attachment & human development
- DOI
- 10.1080/14616734.2026.2655283
- PMID
- 41954444
- NLM abbreviation
- Attach Hum Dev
- ISSN
- 1469-2988
- eISSN
- 1469-2988
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Grant note
- National Institute of Mental Health: K02 MH001446, R01 MH063096 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: R01 HD069171, R01 HD110427
This work was funded by the grants from the National Institute of Mental Health [K02 MH001446, R01 MH063096] and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [R01 HD069171, R01 HD110427] to Grazyna Kochanska. The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 04/09/2026
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9985152090002771
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