SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Conceptualization, Tasks and Neurobiological Correlates of Self-Regulation in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of the Literature (2015-2020)
Josefina Larraín-Valenzuela1, 2, *, Francisca Mardones3, Elisa Ansoleaga4, Leonie Kausel2
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2022Volume: 15
E-location ID: e187435012202040
Publisher ID: e187435012202040
DOI: 10.2174/18743501-v15-e2202040
Article History:
Received Date: 9/8/2021Revision Received Date: 21/10/2021
Acceptance Date: 17/11/2021
Electronic publication date: 08/03/2022
Collection year: 2022
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Background:
Self-regulation is a complex capacity that favors the modification of behavior in accordance with environmental demands.
Objective:
This article aims to review the scientific literature that conceptualizes self-regulation, analyze its potential latent dimensions, identify the instruments used to measure this construct and the empirical findings associated with its neurobiological correlates.
Methods:
A systematic review of the scientific literature published between 2015 and 2020. We include 29 empirical studies on children and adolescents self-regulatory capacity after combining the words self-regulation with cognition, brain and neurosciences.
Results:
Most of the articles included are from North America. A PICOS analysis was performed to increase understanding of self-regulatory capacity. Two dimensions of self-regulation are identified, contributing to a more global conceptualization of the concept of self-regulation; A cognitive dimension associated with executive functions, effortful control and inhibitory control, among others, and a dimension associated with personality, including traits such as irritability, impulsivity, openness and hyperactivity. Next, the instruments used to measure self-regulation are described, followed by a report of the important neurobiological findings, specifically, activation of the anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.
Conclusion:
Self-regulatory capacity is associated with a complex functioning that favors adaptive behavior and has neurobiological correlates.
