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Infant Attention and Early Childhood Executive Function
Author(s) -
Cuevas Kimberly,
Bell Martha Ann
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.12126
Subject(s) - psychology , cognitive flexibility , working memory , cognition , executive functions , developmental psychology , inhibitory control , early childhood , attentional control , cognitive development , intelligence quotient , cognitive psychology , neuroscience
Individual differences in infant attention are theorized to reflect the speed of information processing and are related to later cognitive abilities (i.e., memory, language, and intelligence). This study provides the first systematic longitudinal analysis of infant attention and early childhood executive function ( EF ; e.g., working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility). A group of 5‐month‐olds ( n = 201) were classified as short or long lookers. At 24, 36, and 48 months of age, children completed age‐appropriate EF tasks. Infant short lookers (i.e., more efficient information processors) exhibited higher EF throughout early childhood as compared to infant long lookers, even after controlling for verbal ability (a potential indicator of intelligence). These findings are discussed in relation to the emergence of executive attention.