SelfRegulated

Self-regulated, or self-regulated processes, denotes the capacity of an entity to regulate its own processes, behavior, or outputs without external control. It is used across psychology, education, biology, engineering, and organizational governance to describe systems that rely on internal feedback and adjustment.

In psychology and education, self-regulation refers to voluntary control over thoughts, emotions, and actions to achieve goals. Core elements include goal setting, planning, self-monitoring, strategy use, self-efficacy, and self-reflection. Theories include Bandura’s social cognitive framework and Zimmerman's model of self-regulated learning, which outlines forethought, performance, and self-reflection. Measurement often uses self-report, task performance, or behavioral logs.

In biological and engineering contexts, self-regulated systems maintain stability through feedback mechanisms. In biology, autonomic regulation and homeostasis depend on internal control; in engineering, negative feedback controllers adjust outputs to keep variables within desired ranges. Related ideas include autonomous control, adaptation, and cybernetic approaches.

In governance and industry, self-regulation describes arrangements where industries or professions monitor and discipline themselves through standards bodies or self-regulatory organizations rather than direct external regulation (for example, certain financial, media, or professional bodies). Critics point to potential conflicts of interest and uneven effectiveness.

Applications and limits: self-regulation can promote autonomy, resilience, and goal persistence, but performance can be affected by stress, cognitive load, motivation, and metacognitive skill. Effective development often involves explicit instruction, feedback, and scaffolding.