A systematic review of the concept of self-regulation in infants between 0 and 36 months in Latin America  

SANTOS, JORGE ALEJANDRO; GIOVANNETTI, FEDERICO; SMULSKI, MARIANA CELESTE; HERMIDA, MARÍA JULIA; PETETTA, DANIEL ROBERTO; SEGRETIN, MARÍA SOLEDAD; LIPINA, SEBASTIÁN JAVIER

INFANT BEHAVIOR & DEVELOPMENT

Elsevier

Año: 2024

0163-6383

This paper aims to identify how cognitive and emotional self-regulation (SR) processesin infants from 0 to 36 months are defined within the Latin American academic context.A systematic review based on the PRISMA methodology was implemented to reviewthe conceptual and operational definition of SR, the type of study, the country of originof the authors of the literature, and the reference to the adequacy of the research to thespecific cultural context of Latin America. Twenty-two papers that met the selectioncriteria were selected. The study identified four types of conceptual definitions for SR,each associated with different constructs or sets of constructs: executive functions,temperament, the integration of executive functions and temperament, andphysiological homeostasis. These definitions were based on mainstream approachesto SR rather than being specific to the Latin American region. The study also foundcompatibility between the sample and some observed trends. On one hand, there wasan underrepresentation of the Latin American population in high-impact publications onthe subject. However, from 2010 to the present, there is evidence of growth inpublications on SR in the analyzed sample. On the other hand, the sample alsoindicates a disparate representation of the countries of Latin America and theCaribbean in existing publications. Finally, concerning the adaptation to the culturalcontext of the research, a small number of studies addressed this variable in a specificand significant way. However, even in these cases, the approach is based on modelsand hypotheses that are limited to understanding the Latin American region´s cultural,socioeconomic, and demographic diversity.