Uncovering the structure of self-regulation: a network analysis among German primary-school children

Introduction Self-regulation plays a pivotal role in development, contributing to overall health and success. Self-regulation encompasses several facets, both basal and complex in nature, whose interaction is not fully understood. Methods The current study investigated the network structure of a wide range of self-regulation facets (i.e., cognitive, behavioral,, physiological; basal and complex; performance-based or affective questionnaires) in 1,657 German primary-school children at 6–11 years and again three years later. Results At both measurement points, network analyses revealed a similar structure of two main clusters of basal self-regulation facets (one affective, one cognitive), which were linked by the complex facet planning. At neither measurement point did the network structure differ by binary sex or age (above/below 8.4 or 11.1 years, respectively), but it differed by parental education at the first measurement point. Physiological self-regulation (heart rate variability), as well as the complex facets delay of gratification and affective decision-making showed no connections to the other self-regulation facets. Conclusion The results add to research on childhood development by indicating differentiation of the self-regulation facets across three years, with the complex facet planning playing a central role within the self-regulation network, evident by close links to clusters of affective and cognitive basal self-regulation facets. Furthermore, our data suggest that changes in structures need sufficient time to unfold in middle childhood. Although the (lacking) effects of binary sex, age, and parental education require further investigation, our results offer key insights into the self-regulation network and in childhood development, which could inform future interventions.