Toward a Three-Tier Model of Parental Self-regulation: A Scoping Review of Existing Definitions and Operationalisations

Abstract Parental self-regulation has gained increasing scholarly attention as a core parent process underpinning effective parenting. However, substantial variability exists in how researchers define and use the term, leading to conceptual ambiguity and inconsistency in measurement, which limits comparability across studies and constrains cumulative knowledge building. Given the construct’s growing use, this scoping review aims to clarify its scope and improve conceptual and methodological coherence through mapping how the term “parental self-regulation” has been defined and operationalised across the literature. Searches were conducted across six databases, and 110 peer‑reviewed articles were included. Narrative analysis, supported by bibliometric mapping, revealed three dominant approaches to conceptualising parental self‑regulation: (1) parental self‑regulation as a general adult capacity (e.g., executive function, effortful control, emotion regulation); (2) parenting self‑regulation grounded in parenting intervention literature; and (3) parental self-regulation in the mindful parenting framework. Although these approaches share an emphasis on regulating thoughts, emotions, and behaviours to support adaptive parenting, they differ substantially in their level of analysis, theoretical lineage, and measurement strategies. Building on these findings, we propose a three‑tier model of parental self‑regulation: general, domain‑specific, and task‑specific, drawing parallels with Social Cognitive Theory and models of self‑efficacy. We discuss implications for terminology, construct clarity, theory development, and future research, highlighting the need for clearer alignment between conceptualisation and measurement, and for investigations examining how regulatory processes interact across tiers. Clarifying these distinctions is essential for advancing cumulative theory and improving the precision of parenting research and interventions.