The role of infant attention and parental sensitivity in infant cognitive development in the Netherlands and China

• Published in: Journal of experimental child psychology 2022-03, Vol.215, p.105324-105324, Article 105324
• Main Authors: Li, Wei, Devine, Rory T., Ribner, Andrew, Emmen, Rosanneke A.G., Woudstra, Mi-lan J., Branger, Marjolein C.E., Wang, Lamei, van Ginkel, Joost, Alink, Lenneke R.A., Mesman, Judi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attention; Child; China; Cognition; Cross-country; Executive Function; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant attention; Infant Executive Function; Longitudinal study; Maternal and paternal sensitivity; Netherlands; Parents; Western and Chinese samples
• ISSN: 0022-0965; 1096-0457
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105324

•Both infant attention at 4 months and maternal sensitivity at 14 months were associated with infant working memory and inhibition at 14 months.•Contributions of precursors (4-month infant attention, maternal and paternal sensitivity) of early cognitive abilities were similar across the Netherlands and China.•The predictive effect of maternal sensitivity on infant working memory was stronger than that of paternal sensitivity which was nonsignificant.•The predictive effect of maternal sensitivity on infant was inhibition significant, whereas the effect of paternal sensitivity was not. Infant attention and parental sensitivity are important predictors of later child executive function (EF). However, most studies have investigated infant and parent factors in relation to child EF separately and included only mothers from Western samples. The current study examined whether both infant attention at 4 months and parental sensitivity at 4 and 14 months were related to infant EF (i.e., inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) at 14 months among 124 Dutch and 63 Chinese first-time mothers and fathers and their infants. Findings revealed that parental sensitivity at 4 months was not correlated with infant EF abilities at 14 months. However, infant attention at 4 months was significantly related to 14-month working memory, but not to inhibition and cognitive flexibility. Maternal sensitivity at 14 months was significantly related to 14-month inhibition, but not to working memory and cognitive flexibility. No country differences were found in the relation among 4-month infant attention, parental sensitivity, and EF outcomes. Results show that both infant and parent factors are associated with early EF development and that these correlates of early EF skills may be similar in Western and non-Western samples.