Developmental cascades of behavior problems and cognitive ability from toddlerhood to middle childhood: A 9-year longitudinal study

Little is known about the direction, ordering, and uniqueness of longitudinal associations between behavior problems and cognitive ability, from toddlerhood to middle childhood. A developmental cascade model was tested in the present study to examine the transactional processes in 103 Chinese children at the ages of 1, 2, 7, and 9 years. Behavior problems were assessed using the maternal reported Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment at the ages of 1, 2 and parental reported Children Behavior Checklist at the ages of 7, 9. Cognitive ability was measured using Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development at the ages of 1, 2 and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children at the ages of 7, 9. The results revealed the stability of behavior problems and cognitive ability from age 1 to age 9 years and concurrent associations between externalizing and internalizing problems. Unique longitudinal associations were identified between (1) age 1 cognitive ability and age 2 internalizing problems, (2) age 2 externalizing problems and age 7 internalizing problems, (3) age 2 externalizing problems and age 7 cognitive ability, (4) age 7 cognitive ability and age 9 externalizing problems. The results indicated essential targets for future interventions aimed at reducing children's behavior problems at 2 years old and promoting cognitive ability at 1 year old and 7 years old.