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Maternal limit setting during toddlerhood, delay of gratification, and behavior problems at age five
Author(s) -
Houck Gail M.,
LecuyerMaus Elizabeth A.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
infant mental health journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1097-0355
pISSN - 0163-9641
DOI - 10.1002/imhj.10083
Subject(s) - delay of gratification , cbcl , child behavior checklist , psychology , developmental psychology , normative , philosophy , epistemology
In this study, self‐regulation was examined in relation to maternal limit setting during toddlerhood. Observational coding of limit‐setting interactions was carried out at 12, 24, and 36 months using the Prohibition Coding Scheme (Houck & LeCuyer, 1995; LeCuyer‐Maus & Houck, 2002). At five years, self‐regulation was assessed by observation of self‐imposed delay‐of‐gratification (Shoda, Mischel, & Peake, 1990), and behavior problems were measured by maternal report on a behavior checklist (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991). Maternal limit‐setting patterns at every age differentiated subsequent duration of delay, but not behavior problems. A power‐based maternal pattern in limit setting adversely affected later self‐imposed delay. Although an indirect limit‐setting pattern optimized the child's delay duration, a teaching‐based pattern yielded more consistently positive outcomes at 36 months and normative delay durations at age five years. ©2004 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.