In this article, the authors review basic conceptual issues in research on children’s emotion-related self-regulation, including the differentiation between self-regulation that is effortful and voluntary and control-related processes that are less amenable to effortful control. In addition, the authors summarize what researchers know about developmental changes in self-regulatory capacities, give examples of various methods used to assess these abilities, and summarize findings on the relations between self-regulation or effortful control and positive adjustment and maladjustment. Finally, the authors discuss some strategies for effectively teaching students about emotion regulation.
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