The current study examined concurrent relationships between children’s self-regulation, measured behaviorally and by parent-report, and children’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms. The aim was to distinguish which components of self-regulation (attention vs. inhibitory control, “hot” vs. “cool” regulation) best predict dimensional symptomatology and clinical disorders in young children. The participants were 120 children, ages 4–8 years old. Results showed that greater parent-reported attention was associated with fewer internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Behaviorally-measured hot inhibitory control related to fewer internalizing symptoms, whereas parent-reported inhibitory control related to fewer externalizing symptoms. Similar patterns emerged for clinical diagnoses, with parent-rated attention most strongly predicting disorders across domains. Results support prior evidence implicating self-regulatory deficits in externalizing problems, while also demonstrating that components of self-regulation are impaired with internalizing symptoms. Further, different sub-components of self-regulation relate to different dimensions of psychopathology in children. Interventions should target these areas in children at-risk for disorders.

目前的研究检查了儿童的自我调节（通过行为和父母报告测量）与儿童的内化和外化症状之间的并发关系。目的是区分自我调节的哪些组成部分（注意力与抑制性控制，“热”与“冷”调节）最能预测幼儿的维度症状和临床疾病。参与者是 120 名 4-8 岁的儿童。结果表明，父母报告的更多关注与更少的内化和外化症状。行为测量的热抑制控制与较少的内化症状相关，而父母报告的抑制控制与较少的外化症状相关。临床诊断也出现了类似的模式，父母评价的注意力最能预测跨领域的疾病。结果支持先前的证据表明自我调节缺陷在外化问题中，同时也表明自我调节的组成部分因内化症状而受损。此外，自我调节的不同子成分与儿童精神病理学的不同维度有关。干预措施应针对有疾病风险的儿童的这些领域。