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Early developmental precursors of impulsive and inattentive behavior: from infancy to middle childhood
Author(s) -
Olson Sheryl L.,
Bates John E.,
Sandy James M.,
Schilling Elizabeth M.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/1469-7610.00035
Subject(s) - psychology , developmental psychology , early childhood
Background: We examined infancy and toddler‐age precursors of impulsivity and inattention in school‐age children. Children (50 boys, 39 girls) had been participants since infancy in the Bloomington Longitudinal Study. Method: Individual differences in children's self‐regulatory competence were assessed at 8 years of age, using laboratory tests and observations of three central constructs: Inhibitory Control, Behavioral Control, and Attentional Disengagement. Results: We found that measures of caregiver–child interaction, child temperament, and child cognitive competence during the toddler period significantly predicted variations in children's later impulsive functioning. However, the strength of these relationships, and the type and combination of significant risk factors, were differentially patterned in relation to specific subtypes of later child impulsivity. Conclusions: These data provide further evidence for the multidimensional nature of child impulsivity, and they highlight the importance of examining toddler‐age precursors of children's later self‐regulatory competence.