Abstract
This cross-sectional study examined the extent to which self-regulation skills (attention, inhibitory control, and working memory) statistically predict sustainable environmental behaviors (consciousness and awareness) in 224 preschool children aged 61–72 months. The Self-Regulation Skills Scale (Teacher Form) and the Environmental Sustainability Scale for Children 60–72 Months Old were administered. All three components were entered as candidate predictors in stepwise regression analyses stratified by age and gender; inhibitory control did not meet the entry criterion (
p
R
2
= 0.041,
p
= 0.002) and in 6-year-olds (
R
2
= 0.057,
p
= 0.007) and predicted environmental awareness in 5-year-old girls (
R
2
= 0.099,
p
= 0.024) and in all children (
R
2
= 0.021,
p
= 0.030); however, no model met the Bonferroni-corrected threshold (adjusted
α
= 0.00625), so all findings are reported as exploratory. Formal moderation analyses revealed that gender did not significantly moderate the attention–environment relationship. These findings identify attentional self-regulation as a specific cognitive pathway to environmental sensitivity in early childhood, consistent with Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory. Curriculum implications and directions for confirmatory longitudinal research are discussed.