The Development of Self-
Regulation: Do Parents make a difference?
Rachelle Tomac
Research Development Portfolio Presentation
CEP 900 Fall 2005
Dr. David Wong



Do Children learn to be self-regulated learners thorough interactions with parents?
Why is this important to me as a School
Psychologist?
– Self-regulated learner : a student who is motivated to perform well, set realistic goals, use effective strategies, self-monitor, and able to adjust strategy use as necessary
– A self-regulated learner is a good student, and if the child in not a good student we strive to teach him/her these skills


Social-Cognitive View

Self-Determination Theory:
Support verses Control



Social-Cognitive Model of the development of selfregulation (Zimmerman)
The child
– observes a model performing a behavior of interest
– Emulates the model’s performance
– Uses self-control as he/she independently attempts the model’s learning techniques
– Self-regulates the use of the technique across new situations based on how well it worked
Research says that “adults/parents can initiate children’s development of selfregulative behaviors”



Zimmerman developed the “Self-
Regulation Empowerment Program”
3 Steps:
– Empowerment
– Study/Learning Strategies
– Cyclical Feedback Loop

Forethought, performance control, and self reflection

Self-Determination Theory
Deci, Ryan, Eccles, Grolnick


Individuals have innate needs for:
– Autonomy
– Competence
– Relatedness
Motivation to meet these needs is on a continuum from extrinsic to intrinsic
–
–
External Regulation : behaves in a way to obtain a reward or avoid punishment
Integrated Regulation : becomes involved in an activity because of the sheer pleasure experienced from the task itself (improving the quality of the action and sense of well-being)

How do these theories help me to develop my research?

My Research:
– Dr. Evelyn Oka collected the data
– Parent-Child Interactions video-recorded
– Use theory and literature to develop a way to analyze the data

Goal: to correlate qualities of the parent-child interaction to the child’s level of selfregulation


What is important:
– Directiveness (V or NV)
– Non-directiveness (V or NV)
– Affect
– Engagement (motivational behaviors)
– Autonomy/self-esteem (motivational beliefs)
– Synchrony


Interactions of highly self-regulated children and parent will display:
– More positive affect
– Higher degree of synchrony
(appropriateness and responsiveness)
– More consistent use of non-directive instructional styles



Why is this important, what do I have to add to the literature?
Synchrony over time is more important and accurate than the dual categories of ‘control’ vs ‘support’.
Better understanding of qualities that lead to self-regulation
– In a diverse population
– Serve as the basis for developing both school and family based intervention/prevention programs in self-regulation



Longitudinal Study
– Participants would be 23-26 yrs old
– Motivational Scales / Levels of Self-
Regulation and Autonomy
– Autonomy=Satisfaction?
Is this a vital skill to satisfaction not only throughout school, but in life?

Thank You