Bidirectional relations between self-control and cooperation among Japanese preschoolers: A random-intercept cross-lagged panel analysis

Self-control and cooperation are interrelated among preschoolers, and research on the effect of age at entry into childcare on both variables remains controversial. Using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model, this study examined the bidirectional relationships between self-control and cooperation and the effect of age at entry into childcare using three waves of data (2018, 2019, and 2020) from 316 Japanese preschoolers (age three in 2018; 58.9% boys). The positive association between the two constructs occurred at the between- and within-person levels. No significant differences were found in the age of entry into childcare. The findings reveal a developmental link between self-control and cooperation, the implications of which are further discussed.