Maternal scaffolding strategies and early development of self-regulation in Chinese preschoolers

This study examined the relationship between aspects of maternal scaffolding and Chinese preschoolers' self-regulation. Thirty-three children aged 3–5 (12 boys and 21 girls) and their mothers from one kindergarten in Nanning, China, participated in 2 dyadic problem-solving tasks. The children's self-regulation was assessed using the tapping task either before or after a dyadic problem-solving session on the same day. All mother–child joint problem-solving sessions were videotaped and transcribed. Maternal scaffolding was coded in terms of cognitive assistance (elaborative/directive), emotional feedback (positive/negative), and transfer of responsibility (adult's/child's responsibility) in interaction turns. The results of a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that maternal elaborative cognitive assistance and positive feedback positively predicted children's self-regulation, while neither the adult's nor the child's bearing of responsibility in interaction turns significantly predicted children's self-regulation. Reasons for these results and implications for further studies and practitioners are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.