Self-Regulation in Childhood: A Developmental Perspective

Self-regulation is an essential concept in the study of human development. However, the definitions of the term “self-regulation” and its components are not as clear as may be expected. In addition, these definitions are likely to change across childhood as a function of age and development. Consequently, it is an important aim of this chapter to review the concept of self-regulation from a developmental perspective in order to further our understanding of the similarities and differences between self-regulatory capacities as a function of age and developmental milestones. The chapter is divided into four main sections. In the first section, we look at the different definitions of self-regulation as they appear in the literature and suggest an informative definition of that construct. The second discusses the development of self-regulation from infancy to middle childhood. The third section presents different methods of assessing self-regulation (again, as a function of age and development), and the fourth discusses the links between self-regulation and psychopathology and their implications to field practitioners, focusing mainly on clinical and educational implications. We summarize the chapter with a set of conclusions and recommendations for future research in the field.