A new study shows there is a gender gap when it comes to
behavior and self-control in American young children – one that does not appear
to exist in children in Asia.
In the United States, girls had higher levels of
self-regulation than boys. Self-regulation is defined as children’s ability to
control their behavior and impulses, follow directions, and persist on a task.
It has been linked to academic performance and college completion, in past
studies by Oregon State University researchers.
In three Asian countries, the gender gap in the United
States was not found when researchers directly assessed the self-regulation of
3-6 year olds. The results appear in the new issue of the journal Early
Childhood Research Quarterly.