Abstract

Top-down self-regulation is a basic skill that appears to contribute to many aspects of children’s functioning. I will briefly consider conceptualizations of the construct (e.g., distinction from bottom-up regulation and relation to executive functioning) and how it typically is measured in children. Then I will present research and meta-analytic analyses on how it relates to children’s maladjustment, social competence, and academic functioning, and factors that mediate or moderate these relations.

Abstract

This thematic session highlights methodological innovations in the study of prosocial behavior (PB) in early childhood, focusing on multi-informant, person-centered, and longitudinal modeling approaches. Using data from the PLAY2GLOBAL project as a central empirical framework, we demonstrate how advanced analytic strategies address key challenges in developmental research, including measurement validity, informant discrepancies, heterogeneity, and developmental change.

First, to illustrate the importance of explicitly modeling informant-specific perspectives, we present a multi-trait multi-informant validation of the Early Prosocial Behaviour Questionnaire (EPBQ). We apply confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance testing, and a CT-C(M–1) model to examine factorial, convergent, and discriminant validity across mothers’, fathers’, and teachers’ reports. Second, using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), we demonstrate how multi-informant data can be integrated within a mediation model to test whether children’s empathy explains the associations between mother–child and father–child relationship quality and PB. Third, to illustrate the potential of person-centered approaches, we employ latent profile analysis to identify distinct subgroups of children characterized by different configurations of helping, sharing, and comforting, thereby capturing heterogeneity beyond mean-level differences. Finally, we focus on longitudinal modeling of prosocial trajectories, comparing latent growth and growth mixture models with algorithm-based clustering approaches to classify developmental patterns over time. Together, these contributions demonstrate how rigorous psychometric, structural, mixture modeling, and longitudinal approaches enhance methodological robustness while deepening theoretical insight into early prosocial development.

Abstract

Over the past two decades, research has established children’s self-regulation as a cornerstone of healthy development and  well-being. This talk draws on longitudinal  and multimethod research to examine caregivers’ emotion-related socialization practices. Findings from several studies demonstrate that children’s regulatory skills, especially effortful control, mediate associations between these socialization processes and key indicators of social competence. The presentation will also highlight the socialization of children’s moral development, particularly in our work that indicates that prosocial emotions and  behavior depend on characteristics of the recipient (e.g., ingroup versus outgroup membership). Together, this research underscores the importance of socialization processes on a variety of social and emotional outcomes.

Abstract

The assessment of emotional and social skills in childhood and adolescence is central to research in developmental psychology, education, and prevention science. Yet measuring constructs such as emotion regulation, empathy, or social problem solving, presents substantial methodological and ethical challenges. This interactive 90-minute workshop introduces participants to core approaches for assessing social-emotional skills while fostering critical reflection on their strengths, limitations, and practical implications. Participants will gain access and discuss common assessment methods, including questionnaires, structured observations, and performance-based tasks, considering how different methods and informants can converge, complement, or diverge in the information they provide. Designed to be hands-on, discussion-oriented and reflective, the session encourages participants to critically evaluate the trade-offs between feasibility, reliability, validity, and ethical responsibility. By the end of the workshop, participants will be better equipped to critically evaluate assessment strategies and make informed methodological choices for their own research.

Abstract

Socioemotional development unfolds within a network of relationships that shape how children and adolescents learn to regulate emotions, behave prosocially, and adapt to social demands. Increasing evidence suggests that these developmental processes cannot be fully understood by examining individual competencies in isolation; rather, they emerge through dynamic interactions within relational contexts that include parents, teachers, caregivers, and peers. This thematic session brings together four studies that examine how relational experiences contribute to the development of prosocial behavior, emotion regulation, and self-regulation from early childhood through adolescence, across both normative family contexts and residential care settings.

Study 1: Longitudinal Contributions of Mother–, Father–, and Teacher–Child Relationships to Prosocial Behavior in Early Childhood

Tiago Ferreira, Filipa Nunes & Paula Mena Matos

The first study adopts a longitudinal design to investigate how the quality of mother–, father–, and teacher–child relationships jointly predict the development of prosocial behavior from preschool to the early years of elementary school, highlighting the interplay between family and school relationships.

Study 2: When Relationships Matter Most: Emotion Regulation, Gender, and Psychological Adjustment in Residential Care 

Beatriz Santos, Paula Mena Matos, Helena Carvalho, Mónica Costa, Filipa Nunes, Marlene Moretti & Catarina Pinheiro Mota

The second study focuses on adolescents in residential care and examines whether youth–caregiver relationship quality mediates the association between emotion regulation and psychological adjustment, while also exploring gender-specific pathways. 

Study 3: Parental Emotion Socialization and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation in Adolescents: A Network Analysis

Márcia Silva Azevedo, Liliana Meira, Daniela Pascoal Câmara, Tiago Bento Ferreira & Eva Costa Martins

The third study moves beyond single-strategy approaches to parental emotion socialization by examining interactive patterns among parental responses to adolescents’ emotions and their associations with emotion regulation difficulties. 

Study 4: Relational Contexts, Cumulative Psychosocial Risk, and Gendered Patterns in Adolescent Self-Regulation

Filipa Nunes, Catarina Pinheiro Mota, Tiago Ferreira, Ingrid Schoon & Paula Mena Matos

The fourth study investigates how maternal and paternal metaemotion, peer attachment, and cumulative psychosocial risk contribute to adolescents’ self-regulation, revealing gender-differentiated relational pathways.

Taken together, these studies illustrate how multiple relational agents across developmental contexts shape key socioemotional competencies. They also highlight the importance of gender differences, cumulative risk, and the interaction among relational influences. By integrating longitudinal, network, and structural modeling approaches, this thematic session advances a relational-developmental perspective on socioemotional adjustment and offers implications for interventions aimed at strengthening supportive relationships in families, schools, and care settings.

Abstract

This interactive workshop explores partnering with end users (individuals with lived experience of the condition/context) to develop emotion-focused health interventions that support coping and adjustment in vulnerable populations. Using the PREGAFTERPL (Pregnancy after Pregnancy Loss) support and coping tool as a case example,  we will examine practical strategies, methodological challenges, ethical considerations and early-stage evaluation approaches for meaningful, high-sensitivity engagement. In small groups, attendees will design an intervention plan, specifying how end users/individuals with lived experience will be engaged and how feedback will inform development, and then share and discuss their approaches with the larger group.

Abstract

This workshop explores the pivotal role of emotion regulation within the framework of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), specifically tailored for adults struggling with depression. It will be grounded in the findings of the ISMAI Depression Project, a randomized clinical trial conducted at the University of Maia (formerly ISMAI), comparing the efficacy and mechanisms of change between EFT and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Participants will be introduced to empirical evidence based on process-outcome studies highlighting how EFT facilitates transformative emotional processing by moving beyond mere symptom management toward the deep restructuring of maladaptive emotional schemes.

This training will also provide a specialized focus on two fundamental EFT tasks designed to enhance emotional awareness and emotion regulation. First, we will explore the EFT approach to the Clearing a Space task, as a key intervention for addressing attentional difficulties and cognitive overwhelm in depressed individuals. Second, we will examine the EFT approach to Focusing for an "Unclear Felt Sense" marker, demonstrating how to help clients symbolize vague bodily sensations into meaningful insights.

By the end of this workshop, students will be able to identify specific markers and tasks to address emotional dysregulation and to facilitate emotional processing in adults struggling with depression, and integrate evidence-based findings from the ISMAI Depression project to enhance clinical decision-making in EFT.

Abstract

Translating robust research evidence into effective public policy and meaningful action remains a central challenge across social and health domains. This seminar brings together three complementary research programmes that illustrate how empirical findings can inform policy development, professional practice, and population-level interventions across different stages of the life course.

The first contribution draws on findings from the RESPUBLICA project, which examined child poverty in Northern Portugal through a multi-informant lens, incorporating the perspectives of children, families, and frontline professionals. The project highlights how child poverty remains a persistent and multidimensional phenomenon, shaped not only by economic deprivation but also by fragmented service provision and weak coordination between research, policy, and local practice. Its findings underscore the need for interministerial collaboration, stronger links between national and local governance, improved monitoring systems, and greater inclusion of children and families in policymaking processes.

The second contribution focuses on participatory and child-centred research approaches developed within ProChild CoLAB in which a professional development program was implemented to improve responsive interactions aiming to address socioemotional needs in early childhood. This work demonstrates how a program implemented regionally with the support of local policymakers and engaging childcare professionals and stakeholders can generate actionable knowledge that is both scientifically rigorous and socially relevant. By actively involving policymakers, center coordinators and professionals, this program exemplifies how co-creation processes can strengthen policy responsiveness and ensure that interventions are better aligned with lived experiences and contextual realities.

The third contribution addresses fertility awareness and reproductive health literacy, presenting evidence from intervention studies targeting adolescents, health professionals, and individuals planning parenthood. This body of work illustrates how evidence-based, theory-driven and participatory tools—such as digital resources, serious games, and brief educational interventions—can inform prevention strategies and guide public health and educational policies.

Together, these projects demonstrate that bridging research and policy requires not only high-quality evidence, but also inclusive methodologies, cross-sector collaboration, and sustained dialogue between researchers, policymakers, professionals, and communities.