Self-Regulatory Processes

The regulatory processes of controlled inhibition, executive attention, and emotion regulation are the focus of this entry. Nascent forms of regulatory processes can be observed during the latter part of the first year, which is coincident with increasing activation of the frontal lobes, particularly the prefrontal cortex. However, it is during the toddler years that conscious and intentional displays of regulatory processes are enacted, which are likely linked to growth of linkages within and across the prefrontal cortex, experiences provided by caregivers, and the child’s own self and goals. Emphasizing the toddler and early preschool years, age trends in each of the regulatory processes are described. Data reveal growth tends to be modest during the second year, and improves thereafter albeit at times slowly. Among the three regulatory processes, emotion regulation seems to be the most difficult for young children.