Child self-regulation profiles relate to emotion parenting in Black and Latinx mother-child dyads

Abstract

Across cultures, child self-regulation develops within the parent-child relationship and requires flexible management of one's biology and behaviors. Despite documented relations between self-regulation and adaptive psychological adjustment, research has primarily focused on single indicator assessments of self-regulation within mostly White samples. The present study assessed indicators of self-regulation (i.e., task persistence, positive affect, resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia) in 100 Black and Latinx children (M_age = 6.83 years, SD = 1.50 years) and mother emotion parenting behaviors (M_age = 34.48 years, SD = 6.39 years). Using latent profile analysis, four child self-regulatory profiles were identified. Profile differences by mother emotion parenting behaviors were examined. Controlling for income, ANCOVAs indicated that mothers of children in relatively high self-regulatory profiles showed more positive emotion parenting behaviors when compared to mothers of children in comparatively lower regulatory profiles. Results highlight potential targets for fostering child self-regulation within racial and ethnic minority parent-child relationships.