Toddlers' Behavioral Strategies with Mothers and Fathers

This study examined 20-month-old toddlers' behavioral strategies for emotion regulation with mothers and fathers. One hundred and sixteen toddlers participated in a frustrating situation in a laboratory setting, with each parent, during which parents were instructed to ignore their child. Toddlers' use of several different behavioral strategies (visual, verbal, and motor), as well as their affect, were examined during the frustrating situation. Results suggested moderate consistencies in toddler affect and strategy use, across mothers and fathers. Overall, results suggest that lower levels of distress are associated with spending shorter amounts of time engaged in parent-oriented strategies, regardless of the parent context. Consistent with developmental theories of emotion regulation, this may reflect toddlers' increasing ability to identify the source of their distress.