Effortful Control Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is effortful control?

Voluntary control of behavior so that reactive tendency can be inhibited and more adaptive responses appear.

How is effortful control related to self-regulation?

It supports self-regulation by allowing voluntary control of thoughts and feelings, resolving conflicts due to poor information, correcting errors, and planning new actions.

How does effortful control relate to executive functions?

It involves managing attention, inhibitory control of behavior, and activation of behavior.

What can kids do at 14-18 months in terms of effortful control?

They begin to show effortful control of attention and inhibition, especially when well fed and rested. Signup and view all the answers

What can kids do at 30-36 months in terms of effortful control?

They show significant improvements in inhibiting pre-potent responses but still struggle with this control. Signup and view all the answers

What can kids do at 42-48 months in terms of effortful control?

Children are more capable of changing, delaying, and adapting their responses. Signup and view all the answers

What did Rothbart find in terms of developmental pathways of effortful control?

Attentional control at 12 months and greater executive functioning contribute to higher self-regulation from ages 2-5. Signup and view all the answers

What are the outcomes of greater effortful control in early childhood and through the school age years?

Fewer problem behaviors, less emotional distress, high social competence and self-confidence, conscience development, and greater long-term self-regulation. Signup and view all the answers

What are the outcomes of low effortful control in boys and girls?

Girls are more likely to experience anxiety, while boys are more likely to have conduct disorders. Signup and view all the answers

What are the coping strategies related to self-regulation?

Problem-centered coping and emotion-focused coping. Signup and view all the answers

How can parents influence effortful control?

By responding sensitively to a child's distress and promoting committed compliance. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes Rothbart's definition of temperament?

Stable individual differences in emotional reaction, activity level, attention, and emotional self-regulation. Signup and view all the answers

What are the infancy dimensions of temperament?

Activity level, positive affect, soothability, fearful distress, irritable distress, attention span/persistence. Signup and view all the answers

What are the early childhood dimensions of temperament?

Positive affect, activity, negative affect, effortful control. Signup and view all the answers

How do temperament traits in infancy lead to those in early childhood?

Infant traits like activity level and soothability influence early childhood traits such as positive affect and effortful control. Signup and view all the answers

How does effortful control relate to temperament?

It has a biological basis and is influenced by parenting practices, remaining moderately stable throughout childhood. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Effortful Control

Defined as the voluntary management of behavior to inhibit reactive tendencies and enable adaptive responses.
Key aspect is freedom from emotionally driven reactions.

Relation to Self-Regulation

Essential for voluntary control over thoughts and feelings.
Helps resolve conflicts stemming from confusing information.
Facilitates error correction and planning for new actions.

Connection to Executive Functions

Involves managing attention and inhibitory control to prioritize goals and delay gratification.
Activation of behavior is also part of this control, posing challenges for young children.

Developmental Milestones in Children

At 14-18 months, children start showing control over attention and inhibition, especially when well-fed and rested.
By 30-36 months, children significantly improve their ability to inhibit pre-potent responses, though challenges remain.
Children aged 42-48 months show enhanced ability to adapt and delay responses; consistent demonstration of control emerges during preschool years.

Rothbart's Research Findings

At 12 months, attentional control and executive functioning contribute to self-regulation and effortful control development in later years.
A combination of positive approach and limited attentional control at 12 months can predict extraversion and low effortful control between ages 2-5, which may lead to conduct issues.

Outcomes of Greater Effortful Control

Linked to fewer problem behaviors and lower emotional distress.
Associated with high levels of social competence, self-confidence, conscience development, and enhanced long-term self-regulation.

Outcomes of Low Effortful Control

Girls exhibit higher anxiety levels with low effortful control.
Boys are more prone to conduct disorders under the same conditions.

Coping Strategies and Self-Regulation

Children face stress in challenging situations that can impact self-regulation.
Problem-centered coping involves evaluating and addressing fixable issues.
Emotion-focused coping centers on managing emotional responses to situations.
School-aged children tend to favor strategies that control emotional expression.

Parental Influence on Effortful Control

Parents can enhance effortful control through sensitive responses to a child's emotional distress.
Promoting committed compliance by providing clear, consistent limits is beneficial.
Encouraging sustained attention and task engagement is vital.
Harsh or controlling parenting styles may lead to lower effortful control, with effective changes best implemented before age 3.

Rothbart's Definition of Temperament

Characterized by stable individual differences appearing early in life regarding emotional reactions, activity levels, attention, and emotional self-regulation.
Falls along a spectrum and is grounded in research.

Infancy Dimensions of Temperament

Key dimensions include activity level, positive affect, soothability, fearful and irritable distress, and attention span/persistence.

Early Childhood Dimensions of Temperament

In early childhood, dimensions evolve to include positive affect, activity levels, negative affect, and effortful control.

Transition from Infancy to Early Childhood Temperament Traits

Infancy traits such as activity level and positive affect can lead to similar traits in early childhood, while fearful and irritable distress incline towards negative affect.
Attention span and persistence in infancy predict the development of effortful control in early childhood.

Effortful Control and Temperament

Effortful control is seen as biologically and heritably based, influenced by parental practices, and is moderately stable throughout childhood after it emerges in late infancy.

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Description

This quiz covers key concepts related to effortful control and its connection to self-regulation. Learn about the voluntary control of behavior and how it enables more adaptive responses in various situations. Ideal for students studying psychology or related fields.