BECE. Newsletter 

Vol.10, No.2, 2022 1415 

 

 

 

 

The Relationship between the Home Cognitive Envi-

ronment and the Development of Infants and Tod-

dlers Aged 0-3 Years 

By Zhang, Y., & Hong, X. M. 
Correspondence to: Xiumin Hong, Beijing Normal University. Email: 

xiuminhong@163.com 

HE first few years of a child’s life witness the most rapid development 

in his or her entire life. Promoting the physical and mental health devel-

opment of infants and toddlers at the age of 0-3 years is receiving widespread 

attention in China and abroad. Published in Psychological Development and 

Education recently, this study analyzes the mechanisms of the effects of fam-

ily cognitive environment, child care experiences, and effortful control on the 

development of infants and toddlers at the age of 0-3 years, selecting parents 

of infants and toddlers aged between 0 and 3 as respondents. Effortful con-

trol refers to individual-initiated self-regulation of emotional responses and 

behaviors, and it reflects individual differences in self-control，attention ad-

justment, and behavioral inhibition and activation. 

Findings of the study： 

 Infant and toddler effortful control has a mediating effect between 

the family cognitive environment and infant and toddler devel-

opment, that is, the family cognitive environment influences in-

fant and toddler development by acting on their effortful control. 

High-quality family cognitive environments provide rich oppor-

tunities for infants and toddlers to exercise effortful control, al-

lowing them to regulate and manage their emotions and behaviors 

in different tasks, thus contributing to their overall development. 

 The first half of the mediating pathway “family cognitive envi-

ronment-effort control-infant and toddler development” is moder-

ated by whether or not the infant or toddler is enrolled in child 

care, The effect of family cognitive environment on infant and 

toddler effortful control is greater when they are enrolled in child 

care and weaker when they do not have any experience in child 

care. 

Based on the above findings, the authors suggest that parents and edu-

cators should create a cognitively stimulating environment for infants and 

toddlers at home and in nurseries under the premise of ensuring safety and 

T 

mailto:xiuminhong@163.com


 

Vol.10, No.2, 2022 1416 

health, which facilitates high-quality parent-child interactions and provides 

appropriate play materials, and that effortful control should be exercised in 

daily life to promote infant and toddler development. 

 

Source: Psychological Development and Education, 2020; 2020(2):178-185.