Parents in every society know that young children need to be socialized according to norms and conventions. The transmission process usually begins when children begin to walk and talk. Psychologists believe that if parents convey their expectations for behavior with reason, sensitivity, and love, children are likely to comply with demands. Psychologists also know that during the early years, children increasingly go along with parent expectations for behavior, and even assume responsibility for their own acts when alone. The ability to act according to parent and social demands is often labeled self-regulation. By the preschool years, children are expected to be able to accept standards and to monitor their own behavior accordingly. Despite the importance of self-regulation for childen's socialization, few details are known about its early developmental course. In addition, little is known of the nature of conditions that help or hinder self-regulation's growth. This research will attempt to fill this gap. Specifically, this developmentally focused study will address the following: What kinds of self-regulation do young children, who are in the second through fourth years of life, show? What general level of development has to be obtained before children consistently comply with requests? What cognitive processes are associated with the child's ability to show self-regulation? How do parents modify their behavior to take into account child capability? What particular situations or events interfere with children's ability to regulate their own behavior. At the conclusion of the research, we will know more about how caregivers assist the child's learning of social conventions, how children engage in the social tasks and demands placed before them and how they regulate their own behavior, and which particular situations are particularly challenging for young children.
