The action of postponing an intended plan is often referred to as procrastination. Research on procrastination generally views the phenomenon as a form of self-regulation failure. Self-regulation refers to the conscious and non-conscious processes that enable individuals to guide their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors purposefully. Research indicates correlations between self-regulation and executive functions providing a fruitful integration. From a neuroscientific perspective, this integration generally associates the prefrontal cortex with top-down control whenever successful self-regulation is achieved. On the contrary, self-regulation failure appears to involve a bottom-up control, in which subcortical regions have greater influence on behavioral outcomes. Subcortical regions involved in emotional and rewarding processes, such as the amygdala and nucleus accumbens appears to lie at the coreof self-regulation failure, whereas cortical executive functions of regulating emotion and impulsive behaviors may contribute to successful self-regulation, thus overcoming procrastination. This thesis aims to obtain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of procrastination, specifically investigating self-regulation failure and its relationship with executive functions and the neural underpinnings of self-regulation.

The rapid growth of online and blended learning environments in both higher education and K-12, along with the development of innovative game based, narrative driven, problem-based learning (PBL) systems known as Alternate Reality Games (AltRG), has led to the need to understand student’s abilities to self-regulate their learning behaviors and practices in these novel environments. This study examines student reflections and e-mails related to self-regulatory practices for learning across two different course designs for an Internet-based course in computer applications. Both designs leverage PBL but apply different levels of abstraction related to content and the need to self-regulate. The study looked specifically at how students communicated about learning across these environments, what student communications indicated about student readiness for university online learning and how instructional design and methods of instruction shaped student expressions of learning and self-regulation. The research design follows an ethnographic and case study approach as two designs and four sections are examined. Data was collected from student blog posts, email messages and semi-structured interviews. Atlas.TI was used to code the data using constant comparative analysis. A sequential analysis was applied using an a priori structure for self-regulation and post hoc analysis for emergent codes that resulted in the following categories: distraction, group experience, motivation, emotion, prior experiences, and time. Results indicated qualitative differences between the two designs related to student communications for learning and self-regulation. Findings were reported for both the a priori and post hoc analysis. Additionally, two major findings are reported as emerging themes. These are presented and discussed as The Expectation Gap and Different Designs, Different Outcomes.

Student practice and the influences that shape self-regulated behavior (habits) remain of interest among educators. This self-regulated behavior includes factors such as what informs a student’s selection of a goal during self-regulated practice, the motivation to engage in an activity, and the value attributed to an activity. Interest exists concerning the discrepancy, if any, in student-versus-teacher evaluation as informed by these factors. Through the application of Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory, I examined the motivators, informers, values, and sustainers of the practice habits of eight university undergraduate performance and music education majors during self-regulated practice. The instructors came from five applied lesson studios in which the students were enrolled. Using a primarily descriptive methodology, the source of the data I collected was two pre-arranged applied lessons and two pre-arranged practice sessions for each student during the fall semester of 2018. I contrasted the information taken from the practice sessions with the goal-directed and instructor-modeled activities typical of the applied lessons. To compare the self-assessment of competencies with the assessment of the instructor, I employed a survey in the form of a questionnaire and reviewed videotapes of the participants in both applied lessons and self-regulated practice. The data collected for applied lessons and self-regulated practice were then separately coded and placed into one of two categories, musical or non-musical behavior. I then compared this data among and within the participating applied lesson studios. My analysis revealed that the preponderance of instructional time was spent in musical activities. The same was true, but to a slightly lesser degree, for students during self-regulated practice. I observed that motivation and the value attributed to an activity were informed by modeling of goal-directed activities (habits) during applied lessons. The students carried this goal-directed activity into self-regulated practice. These practice habits maintained the behavior that supported the goals, the achievement of which informed students’ self-assessment of their performance competencies. Students were less satisfied with their level of performance competency than were their instructors. This lack of satisfaction occurred despite the alignment of the observed selection of practice habits with the activities modeled by the instructor in applied lessons and was contrary to previous research (Varela et al., 2016) that found students’ assessment of their competencies higher than the assessment of their instructors. One implication of this study is the importance of instructors’ training of students in task analysis regarding practice habits. Such training, combined with modeling, may enable students to choose goals wisely and to self-assess accurately to affect the self-regulation necessary to achieve musical proficiency. The differences in goals between students and instructors, practice-room behavior, and self-assessment warrant further exploration.

The present mixed methods study looks at the impact of a specific self-regulatory framework (WOOP) developed within the domain of mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII), and its effects on the self-reported self-regulation of learners in an intensive English program in the United States over the course of one 14-week semester. The research, which includes a total of 187 participants, compares self-reported self-regulation between students who used the framework and those who did not, and the impact the tool has on the different proficiency levels involved in the study. Furthermore, following a sequential explanatory design, the study aims to examine the participants' impressions on the value of this self-regulatory strategy. The quantitative data show that, despite the lack of significant difference between groups, there are meaningful differences across levels of proficiency. Individual interviews with select participants also reveal a general acknowledgement of the value of goal setting and planning in language learning, whether via MCII or not. In summary, MCII and a focus on self-regulation instruction appear to be beneficial in the bigger scheme of ESL learning and teaching.

Homeostatic self-regulation is a fundamental aspect of open dissipative systems. Integral feedback has been found to be important for homeostatic control on both the cellular and molecular levels of biological organization and in engineered systems. Analyzing the task allocation mechanisms of three insect societies, we identified a model of integral control residing at colony level. We characterized a general functional core mechanism, called the “common stomach,” where a crucial shared substance for colony function self-regulates its own quantity via reallocating the colony’s workforce, which collects and uses this substance. The central component in a redundant feedback network is the saturation level of this substance in the colony. An interaction network of positive and negative feedback loops ensures the homeostatic state of this substance and the workforce involved in processing this substance. Extensive sensitivity and stability analyses of the core model revealed that the system is very resilient against perturbations and compensates for specific types of stress that real colonies face in their ecosystems. The core regulation system is highly scalable, and due to its buffer function, it can filter noise and find a new equilibrium quickly after environmental (supply) or colony-state (demand) changes. The common stomach regulation system is an example of convergent evolution among the three different societies, and we predict that similar integral control regulation mechanisms have evolved frequently within natural complex systems.

Thesis advisor: Belle Liang / Ethnic racial identity (ERI) is a developmental model that recognizes that individuals with an ethnicity (e.g., Jamaican, Puerto Rican) and race (e.g., Black, White) will have attitudes, beliefs, and actions influenced by their ethnic and racial group membership which represents an important aspect of their identity (Umana-Taylor et al., 2014). Research on people of Color (POC) who positively identify with their own ethnic and/or racial group and academic outcomes has been mixed, with studies documenting no associations (Guzman, 2002; Ivory, 2003), negative associations (Sellers, Chavous, & Cooke, 1998), and positive associations (Rivas-Drake, Seaton et al., 2014). Moreover, there remains little research on examining the underlying mechanisms explaining the link between ethnic and/or racial identity and student engagement. Research in related fields suggests several potential mechanisms that may help explain the relationship between ERI and student engagement. For example, Sumner and colleagues (2018) posited that marginalization experiences likely shape youth purpose; POC, given their marginalization experiences, may be more purposeful than non-POC. Additionally, research suggests that positive feelings towards one’s ethnic or racial group are associated with positive mental health outcomes (Rivas-Drake, Syed et al., 2014) which in turn are associated with student engagement. The current study investigates the underlying mechanisms for the relationship between ERI and student engagement. Specifically, the study examined associations between either an assimilation (i.e., attitudes in which individuals define identities in nationalistic rather than ethnonationalist terms) or multiculturalist inclusive (i.e., positive attitude towards one’s ethnic-racial group as well as other ethnic-racial groups) ERI status and student engagement. Path analysis was employed to test the mediating role of purpose and mental health on the relationship between ERI and student engagement. The study also examined whether the relationship between ERI and mental health was different across ethnic-racial groups. The results indicate that ERI status was not directly related to mental health. Nor was ERI status indirectly related to student engagement through mental health. However, ERI status was directly related to purpose and indirectly related to self-regulation through purpose. Further, the association between ERI status and mental health differed across ethnic-racial groups. That is, ERI status, both assimilation and multiculturalist inclusive, was more highly associated with psychological wellbeing for POCs than for non-POCs. For White students, there was a positive association between a multiculturalist inclusive ERI status and depression. Youth purpose may explain additional relationships between ERI status and other outcomes. Implications of these findings for research, assessment, and intervention are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

This article explores how teachers can foster an environment that facilitates social problem solving when toddlers experience conflict, emotional dysregulation, and aggression. This article examines differences in child development and self-regulation outcomes when teachers engage in problem solving for toddlers and problem solving with toddlers. It also reviews teacher practices aimed at preventing problems. The article suggests a paradigm shift from perceiving social challenges as toddler problems to viewing such situations as problem solving opportunities. The article concludes by applying these principles to an actual classroom dispute among toddlers.

The purpose of this work was to investigate basic personality mechanisms underlying life balance, to specify why life balance is beneficial for peoples well-being, and to identify specific self-regulatory competences that affect that balance. The approach of life balance was initially conceived of in terms of the work-family balance or the work-family conflict. Addressing the suggestion that the work-life system is multi- and not just two dimensional, life balance as a multidimensional construct was operationalized and investigated in the present research. Life balance was defined in terms of appropriate proportion of time spent in major life domains that comprises of activities related to work, social contact and family, health, and the overall meaningfulness of life. Two life balance measurements - the Life-Balance Checklist and the Life-Balance Questionnaire - were constructed as a part of this research. Both measures were found to have sufficient internal and external validity. The main findings were: (a) the congruence of needs, goals and goal attainment within the time invested in goal-relevant behavior predicted the level of life balance and may be viewed as a mechanism underlying life balance; (b) the fulfillment of psychological needs mediated the relationship between life balance and subjective well-being; (c) affective coping (i.e., action orientation) buffered the negative impact of stress on life balance; (d) time management behavior was found to have a positive impact on life balance through improved perception of control over time and reduced procrastination; and (e) persons especially skilled in self-motivation and self-relaxation reported to high competence to choose and attain self-concordant goals (i.e., self-determination) and, as a result, to balance their time spent across life domains more effectively.

In the present dissertation, the twofold aim of identifying both antecedents as well as consequences of personality development in adolescence and adulthood is pursued. Personality development is seen from the point of view of Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. The theory specifies identity (i.e., developing a sense of who one is), intimacy (i.e., developing the capacity to commit to a mature partnership), and generativity (i.e., developing a concern for following generations) as central hallmarks of personality development in adolescence, young adulthood, and adulthood, respectively. The solution of these developmental tasks is assumed to be associated with challenges and obstacles. Thus, the developing individual requires psychological resources to successfully cope with each developmental task. On the other hand, if successful, the resolution of a given developmental crisis is assumed to be associated with well-being as well as the development of potentials for further personality development. Three studies are presented that illustrate this interplay of chances and challenges of personality development. In a study with German and Cameroonian adolescents prosocial behavior is found to simultaneously be a consequence of an achieved identity formation and an antecedent of the development of generative concern. Then, two aspects of self-regulation, that is, attention and action control, are found to be predictive of an achieved identity formation which, in turn, is associated with well-being. Finally, the same mechanism is shown to apply for development in adulthood as well: Attention regulation and action control facilitate the development of intimacy and generativity, respectively. Again, personality development is associated with well-being. These results are discussed with a focus on the role of self-regulation and culture on developmental processes. Throughout the discussion, open research questions that future research might address are presented.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether mother-administered moderate pressure massage intervention could improve self-regulation, which would result in improvements in play outcomes. It was posited that a child who is self-regulated may be more successful in his/her play and that moderate pressure massage could be an effective tool to improve self-regulation in preterm infants with decreased self-regulation. Participants in the study were five preterm children ranging from 12 to 18 months corrected age and their mothers. The study utilized an A-B nonconcurrent multiple baselines across subjects design in which each participant acted as his/her own control as well as a pretesting and posttesting component with objective measures. Baselines were of varying lengths, ranging from 3 to 7 weeks. Intervention of mother-administered massage was 6 weeks long for all participants. Three objective standardized measures were used in pretesting and posttesting. These measures included the Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment to measure self-regulation, the Revised Knox Preschool Play Scale to measure play age, and the Test of Playfulness to measure playfulness. Visual analogue scales, with mother generated behavioral goals related to the three standardized assessments, were scored weekly by the mothers. The results indicated that moderate pressure massage had a calming and regulating effect on the child and resulted in improvements in the child’s play skills and playfulness over the course of the 6 weeks of intervention. The important clinical implications are that this cost-effective, parent-administered technique can positively affect outcomes of improved self-regulation, playfulness, and play skills. In addition, the study contributes important information about the influence of self-regulation on the development of play and playfulness in preterm babies and on mothers’ participation in their baby’s intervention, which contributes to a family-centered approach.