Dyadic Interaction to Self-Regulation: Joint Engagement in Toddlerhood Predicts Preschool Delay of Gratification

Research has shown a relationship between parent-child interaction and executive function. Secondary analyses on a multi-site, longitudinal dataset examined one aspect of parent-child interaction, joint engagement, at 24-months and its relationship to delay of gratification at 54-months. Joint engagement predicted delay of gratification; language did not mediate this relationship.