The Potential Benefits of Mindfulness Training in Early Childhood: A Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective

Philip D Zelazo, Kristen E. Lyons

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

208 Scopus citations

Abstract

Early childhood is marked by substantial development in the self-regulatory skills supporting school readiness and socioemotional competence. Evidence from developmental social cognitive neuroscience suggests that these skills develop as a function of changes in a dynamic interaction between more top-down (controlled) regulatory processes and more bottom-up (automatic) influences on behavior. Mindfulness training-using age-appropriate activities to exercise children's reflection on their moment-to-moment experiences-may support the development of self-regulation by targeting top-down processes while lessening bottom-up influences (such as anxiety, stress, curiosity) to create conditions conducive to reflection, both during problem solving and in more playful, exploratory ways.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)154-160
Number of pages7
JournalChild Development Perspectives
Volume6
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2012

Keywords

  • Bidirectional influences
  • Executive function
  • Intervention
  • Mindfulness
  • Self-regulation

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