Young Children’s Self-Regulation in an Urban Context

The goal of this study was to explore the predictors and outcomes associated with the development of effortful control in young children. In collaboration with Syracuse University, and using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), we addressed the following questions:

(1) What aspects of three environmental contexts — the mother-child relationship, the family, and the neighborhood — predict EC? Which of these contexts explains the most variance in EC? Do the predictors vary according to the component of EC examined (delay of gratification vs. motor control)?

(2) Does infant reactivity moderate associations between contextual predictors and EC? Do observed versus mother-reported measures of infant reactivity differ in their moderation of associations between contextual predictors and EC?

(3) Are delay of gratification and motor control differentially associated with internalizing, externalizing, and attention behavior problems?

Funding Sources: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

Contact: Anne Martin, Dr.P.H.