Refining the Preschool Self‐regulation Assessment for Use in Preschool Classrooms

Abstract

To aid in understanding preschoolers' self‐regulation and refinement of measurement, we examined properties of a field‐based assessment battery of preschooler's self‐regulation, the Preschool Self‐regulation Assessment (PSRA). The PSRA, which includes seven age‐appropriate tasks that tap children's executive control, was administered to 313 preschoolers and then to 261 of these children approximately 3 months later. Teachers reported on children's school readiness (social competence and classroom adjustment) at the end of preschool and kindergarten years, and on academic success in kindergarten. PSRA tasks were examined for ceiling effects at 35–65 months; Pencil Tap, Balance Beam, Toy Wrap and Snack Delay were retained for lack of such effects. Confirmatory factor analyses showed two components at each time point – hot and cool executive control – and cross‐time correlations showed significant stability of individual differences. Four‐year‐old girls and children of higher socioeconomic status outperformed 3‐year‐old boys and those at socioeconomic risk. Children, especially girls, scored higher on hot executive control. Finally, aspects of executive control differentially predicted teacher‐reports of school readiness at both times of assessment, with age, gender and risk status controlled. These selected PSRA tasks, as a shortened battery, have potential for research and applied usage, and findings speak to theoretical understanding of preschoolers' self‐regulation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Exploring dimensionality of effortful control using hot and cool tasks in a sample of preschool children

“…They reported that a two-factor model, consisting of hot and cool EC factors, fit better than a one-factor model. Other researchers also have reported that a two-factor model consisting of hot and cool EC factors, or a hierarchical model with hot and cool factors subsumed under a global EC factor, fit better than a one-factor model (e.g., Bassett, Denham, Wyatt, & Warren-Khot, 2012; Brock et al, 2009; Denham, Warren-Khot, Bassett, Wyatt, & Perna, 2012; Kim et al, 2013). In contrast to these studies, however, Allan and Lonigan (2011) did not provide support for distinct hot and cool EC factors in a sample of 234 preschool children.…”

Emergent self-regulation skills among very young ethnic minority children: A confirmatory factor model

“…Bassett, Denham, Wyatt, and Warren-Knot (2012) summarized the commonly accepted definition of self regulation as “a broad construct representing the cognitive, motivational-affective, social and physiological processes that modulate attention, emotion, and behavior to a given situation/stimulus, for the purpose of pursuing a goal” (p. 597). The cognitive skills fundamental to self regulation are referred to as executive functions and encompass the interrelated skills of working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility (Bassett, et al, 2012; Blair & Ursache, 2011; Denham, Warren-Khot, Bassett, Wyatt, & Perna, 2012; Diamond, 2006; Garon, Bryson, & Smith, 2008).…”

“…The cognitive skills fundamental to self regulation are referred to as executive functions and encompass the interrelated skills of working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility (Bassett, et al, 2012; Blair & Ursache, 2011; Denham, Warren-Khot, Bassett, Wyatt, & Perna, 2012; Diamond, 2006; Garon, Bryson, & Smith, 2008). Self regulation tasks often require the utilization of more than one executive function skill (Denham, et al, 2012).…”

“…Inhibitory control is defined as the ability to inhibit a habitual or reactive response in favor of a subdominant response (Bassett, et al, 2012; Blair & Ursache, 2011; Denham, et al, 2012; Diamond, 2006; Garon, et al, 2008). Although inhibitory control first emerges during the latter part of the first year, levels of compliance vary greatly between children and increase significantly from infancy through early childhood.…”

Studying Children's Intrapersonal Emotion Regulation Strategies from the Process Model of Emotion Regulation

“…Previous research has suggested that these skills develop with age, showing a significant improvement from the age of 5 to 6 years (e.g., Bassett, Denham, Wyatt, & Warren-Khot, 2012).…”