Self‐Control in Childhood: A Synthesis of Perspectives and Focus on Early Development

In this article, I describe three prominent developmental science perspectives on self‐control in childhood, discuss differences and areas of consensus, and suggest a comprehensive, early integrative approach to research on this topic. The self‐control perspectives are the self‐regulatory concepts o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child development perspectives 2017-06, Vol.11 (2), p.127-132
Main Author: Gagne, Jeffrey R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Childhood
early childhood
Executive function
executive functioning
Gratification
Integrative approach
Neurosciences
Response inhibition
Self control
Self regulation
Temperament
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Summary:In this article, I describe three prominent developmental science perspectives on self‐control in childhood, discuss differences and areas of consensus, and suggest a comprehensive, early integrative approach to research on this topic. The self‐control perspectives are the self‐regulatory concepts of delay of gratification and willpower, the cognitive neuroscience executive functioning construct of inhibitory control (IC), and the behavioral and emotional temperament dimensions of effortful control and IC. The primary focus of these approaches is similar, and differences are based largely on theory, methods, and the age of the children studied. Therefore, I agree with a synthesis of these perspectives championed by other developmental scientists, and propose comprehensive, multitheoretical, multimethod empirical study that begins when self‐control emerges in toddlerhood.
ISSN:1750-8592
1750-8606
DOI:10.1111/cdep.12223