Inhibitory Control and Self-Regulation

Emotional Self-Regulation in Preschool Children and Their Mothers

This project’s main goal is to explore the association between maternal and child
emotional self-regulation, with a focus on the brain processes active during behavioral inhibition. This hypothesized association will be explored as part of a model that takes into account the attentional basis for emotional self-regulation (i.e., executive control) and the known relations between the mother’s and the child’s executive functions. In addition, this model includes two factors that might mediate the possible relation between mother and child emotional self-regulation: parenting practices and home chaos.

Inhibitory Control While Experiencing Negative Emotions

This project links temperamental individual differences with executive control and emotional self-regulation of mothers and their children. Specifically, we assess the relation between child’s and mother’s inhibitory control while experiencing negative emotions. Maternal self-regulation is also conceptualized in relation to the discrepancy between the parenting practices the mother uses and the ones she believes she should be using. This study focuses on the brain processes (measured using ERP) active when inhibitory control is required, as well as behavioral expressions, thus integrating neuropsychological and developmental approaches.

Temperamental/Cognitive Characteristics, Maternal Socialization, and Their Effects on Self-Regulation

This project focuses on the relations between child’s different temperamental and cognitive characteristics (temperament, theory of mind. executive function, behavioral and emotional regulation), maternal socialization of emotion, and their combined effect on the child’s self-regulation and his/her behavior in school.