Coregulation between parents and elementary school-aged children in response to challenge and in association with child outcomes: A systematic review.

In 30 seconds

This systematic review examined parent–child coregulation during experimentally induced challenges and its association with socioemotional outcomes in children aged 3–12 years. Fourteen peer-reviewed empirical studies met the inclusion criteria. Behavioral and emotional coregulation was positively associated with better child self-regulation; patterns linked to positive outcomes involved flexibility and synchrony during mutually responsive, engaged interactions. Physiological synchrony was not uniformly beneficial: in contexts of risk, including poverty or maltreatment, higher synchrony could be associated with maladaptive outcomes. The review also identified substantial variation in how coregulation is defined and measured.

Key findings

• Across the 14 included studies, behavioral and emotional coregulation during challenge was positively associated with better child self-regulation.
• Coregulation linked to positive outcomes was characterized by flexibility and dyadic synchrony in mutually responsive, engaged states.
• High physiological synchrony could be maladaptive for child outcomes when risk factors such as poverty or maltreatment were present.
• Studies used diverse and ambiguous terminology and concepts to measure coregulation.

Why it matters

The review suggests that parent–child coordination during challenging situations is relevant to children’s developing self-regulation, but that synchrony should not be interpreted as uniformly beneficial. Its association with outcomes may depend on the form of coordination and the family context. Clarifying these distinctions may improve interpretation of research and assessment of parent–child interaction.

What to keep in mind

The review included only 14 English-language, peer-reviewed empirical articles, and the source notes ambiguity and diversity in coregulation terminology and measurement.