View in EDS

Roads to Regulation: Indirect Paths from Effortful Control and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia to Emotion Regulation across Childhood

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Roads to Regulation: Indirect Paths from Effortful Control and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia to Emotion Regulation across Childhood
Language: English
Authors: Jennifer J. Phillips (ORCID 0000-0002-1575-3094), Jyoti Savla (ORCID 0000-0001-7142-3770), Martha Ann Bell (ORCID 0000-0001-9222-0374)
Source: Developmental Psychology. 2026 62(4):779-790.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 12
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
Contract Number: R01HD049878
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Emotional Response, Self Control, Young Children, Age Differences, Physiology, Mothers, Gender Differences, Predictor Variables
Geographic Terms: Virginia, North Carolina
DOI: 10.1037/dev0002085
ISSN: 0012-1649
1939-0599
Abstract: Emotion regulation begins to develop early in childhood and has important implications for optimal development. Individual regulatory factors, such as effortful control and baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (bRSA), have been demonstrated as markers that influence the development of emotion regulation across childhood. The aim of this present study was to examine the stability and the direct and indirect associations of these regulatory factors from early to middle childhood in predicting emotion regulation in late childhood. Children (n = 230) visited the lab when they were 3, 6, and 9 years old. At ages 3 and 6, mothers reported on child effortful control, and bRSA was assessed, and at age 9, mothers reported on child emotion regulation. Using cross lagged path modeling, we demonstrated that both effortful control and bRSA exhibited stability from early to middle childhood. Our results highlighted two distinct longitudinal pathways to emotion regulation: indirect effects of effortful control and bRSA at age 3 on emotion regulation at age 9, mediated through their respective measures at age 6. Cross-lagged mediation paths and alternate models, however, did not support the roles of effortful control and bRSA at age 6 as mediators in the relationship between each other's early measures and later emotion regulation. In other words, neither effortful control nor bRSA at age 6 indirectly predicted emotion regulation at age 9 through each other. These results are discussed in light of their clinical and prevention applications, as well as the developmental trajectories of these regulatory factors across childhood.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503600
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1503600
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Roads to Regulation: Indirect Paths from Effortful Control and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia to Emotion Regulation across Childhood
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jennifer+J%2E+Phillips%22">Jennifer J. Phillips</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1575-3094">0000-0002-1575-3094</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jyoti+Savla%22">Jyoti Savla</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7142-3770">0000-0001-7142-3770</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Martha+Ann+Bell%22">Martha Ann Bell</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9222-0374">0000-0001-9222-0374</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Psychology%22"><i>Developmental Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2026 62(4):779-790.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 12
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
– Name: NumberContract
  Label: Contract Number
  Group: NumCntrct
  Data: R01HD049878
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotional+Response%22">Emotional Response</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Control%22">Self Control</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Young+Children%22">Young Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age+Differences%22">Age Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Physiology%22">Physiology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mothers%22">Mothers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+Differences%22">Gender Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Predictor+Variables%22">Predictor Variables</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Virginia%22">Virginia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22North+Carolina%22">North Carolina</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1037/dev0002085
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0012-1649<br />1939-0599
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Emotion regulation begins to develop early in childhood and has important implications for optimal development. Individual regulatory factors, such as effortful control and baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (bRSA), have been demonstrated as markers that influence the development of emotion regulation across childhood. The aim of this present study was to examine the stability and the direct and indirect associations of these regulatory factors from early to middle childhood in predicting emotion regulation in late childhood. Children (n = 230) visited the lab when they were 3, 6, and 9 years old. At ages 3 and 6, mothers reported on child effortful control, and bRSA was assessed, and at age 9, mothers reported on child emotion regulation. Using cross lagged path modeling, we demonstrated that both effortful control and bRSA exhibited stability from early to middle childhood. Our results highlighted two distinct longitudinal pathways to emotion regulation: indirect effects of effortful control and bRSA at age 3 on emotion regulation at age 9, mediated through their respective measures at age 6. Cross-lagged mediation paths and alternate models, however, did not support the roles of effortful control and bRSA at age 6 as mediators in the relationship between each other's early measures and later emotion regulation. In other words, neither effortful control nor bRSA at age 6 indirectly predicted emotion regulation at age 9 through each other. These results are discussed in light of their clinical and prevention applications, as well as the developmental trajectories of these regulatory factors across childhood.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1503600
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1503600
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1037/dev0002085
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 12
        StartPage: 779
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Emotional Response
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self Control
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Young Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Age Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Physiology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mothers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Gender Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Predictor Variables
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Virginia
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: North Carolina
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Roads to Regulation: Indirect Paths from Effortful Control and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia to Emotion Regulation across Childhood
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jennifer J. Phillips
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jyoti Savla
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Martha Ann Bell
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0012-1649
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1939-0599
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 62
            – Type: issue
              Value: 4
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Developmental Psychology
              Type: main
ResultId 1