Language risk and temperamental profiles in Italian toddlers

Our research investigates relations between aspects of toddler temperament and multiple indices of early language acquisition. Young children\u2019s positive or neutral emotional states are associated with better expressive and receptive vocabulary (Bloom, 1993; Dixon & Shore, 1997; Slomkowski et al., 1992). We investigate multiple dimensions of both temperament and expressive language. In this presentation, we describe the complex relations among dimensions of temperament and aspects of expressive language. Our work is based on a sample of 152 children (78 females) aged between 28 and 29 months who were recruited in 22 day-care centres. Language development and temperament were assessed using two questionnaires completed by day-care teachers over a period of two weeks of observation. Language measure. The Italian version of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (Words & Phrases; Fenson et al., 1993: PVB, Caselli & Casadio, 1995) was used to assess language. We analysed: (a) vocabulary size; (b) vocabulary composition (single words, predicates); (c) decontextualised comprehension and production of words; (d) morphological ability: the use of inflected forms of nouns, adjectives and verbs; and (e) combinatory language. We also created an overall risk score (range 0-3, with 3 indicating highest risk) using three indicators (vocabulary size below 1.5 standard deviations from standardization sample mean and absence of either morphological ability or combinatory language). Temperament. Teachers also completed the Italian Questionnaires of Temperament (QUIT, Axia, 2002). The QUIT consists of 56 questions, rated on a 1-6 scale, involving children\u2019s day-to-day behaviours and generates six temperament scales: social orientation, inhibition to novelty, motor activity, positive emotionality, negative emotionality and attention. We focus on three main findings. First, we examined correlations between the six temperament dimensions and the multiple aspects of expressive language. Where two significant correlations are expected by chance, we found 17 significant correlations. Notably, their magnitudes are relatively low (range .24 to -.23). Temperamental social orientation, positive emotionality, and attention accounted for 14 of the 17 relations to language aspects. Second, we grouped children by level of risk language (0 to 3) and related risk status to each temperament dimension (Table 1): ANOVAs reveal a significant effect of risk on two temperament dimensions: positive emotionality (\uf068\uf032\uf03d\uf02e\uf030\uf035\uf039\uf029 and attention (\uf068\uf032\uf03d\uf02e\uf030\uf036\uf034\uf029\uf02e\uf020Greater risk is associated with lower positive emotionality and attention. Finally, we identified two temperament profiles associated with increased language risk: (1) an inattentive profile, characterized by low attention and high motor activity and (2) an inhibited profile, characterized by high inhibition to novelty and high negative emotionality (Table 2). Our discussion focuses on the importance of examining temperament using all its dimensions, including emotionality. We consider how toddler temperament may facilitate receiving language input or parent-toddler interaction. We also discuss the value of looking at specific aspects of language. For example, morphological ability, use of predicates, and combinatory language appeared more sensitive to temperament dimensions than other language aspects. Table 1. Temperament scales by level of risk for language development. Temperament Level of risk N Social orientation (mean s.d.) F(3,150)= 1.838 n.s Inhibition novelty (mean s.d.) F(3,141)= 1.818 n.s Motor activity (mean s.d.) F(3,149)= 1.291 n.s Positive emotion (mean s.d.) F(3,150)= 3.062 p<.05 Negative emotion (mean s.d.) F(3,151)= 0.693 n.s. Attention (mean s.d.) F(3,151)= 3.353 p<.05 0 63 4.12 .85 2.71 .84 2.94 1.04 4.68 .93 2.81 1.10 4.51 .86 1 26 4.11 .64 2.56 .87 3.26 1.01 4.87 .62 2.90 .98 4.61 .78 2 37 3.73 .99 2.89 .89 3.34 1.02 4.37 .95 2.77 1.00 4.07 .92 3 26 3.93 .79 3.10 .05 3.01 1.23 4.23 .96 3.15 1.38 4.17 .70 Table 2. Distribution of risk indices among the three temperamental profiles

Improving Executive Function in childhood: Evaluation of a training intervention for 5- year-old children

Executive function (EF) refers to a set of higher order cognitive processes that control and modulate cognition under continuously changing and multiple task demands. EF plays a central role in early childhood, is associated and predictive of important cognitive achievements and has been recognized as a significant aspect of school readiness. This study examines the efficacy of a group based intervention for five-year-old children that focuses on basic components of EF (working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility). The intervention included 12 sessions, lasted one month and used low-cost materials. Seventy-five children took part in the study. The results indicate that the children who attended the intervention outperformed controls in simple and more complex EF tasks. Specifically, these children exhibited increased abilities to delay gratification, to control on-going responses, to process and update information and to manage high cognitive conflict. These results suggest the possibility that this low-cost intervention, which may be easily implemented in educational services, can promote EF during preschool period before the entrance in primary school

Are maternal reflective functioning and attachment security associated with preadolescent mentalization?

This study investigated the impact of maternal reflective functioning (RF) and attachment security on children\u2019s mentalization. The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was administered to mothers in a sample of 41 mother\u2013preadolescent dyads. AAI transcripts were rated in terms of the Berkeley AAI System (Main and Goldwyn, 1998) and the Reflective Functioning Scale (RFS; Fonagy et al., 1998). Preadolescent mentalization was assessed using a semi-structured interview adapted from O\u2019Connor and Hirsch (1999) and also by analyzing mental-state talk produced during an autobiographical interview. Relationships between maternal RF and children\u2019s mentalization were analyzed, with consideration given to the different RFS markers and references to positive, negative, and mixed-ambivalent mental states. Children\u2019s mentalization was positively correlated with the mother\u2019s RF, particularly the mother\u2019s ability to mentalize negative or mixed-ambivalent mental states. No significant differences in mentalization were observed between children of secure and insecure mothers

Apprendimento matematico: il ruolo predittivo delle funzioni esecutive

Esiste una vasta letteratura che indaga il potere predittivo delle funzioni esecutive rispetto all’apprendimento matematico. Tuttavia, il dibattito rispetto al ruolo di questi processi cognitivi sull’apprendimento matematico è tuttora in corso, anche per la complessità di indagare la relazione tra due costrutti multicomponenziali. Questo contributo ha la finalità di presentare una serie di studi in cui è stato indagato il ruolo delle funzioni esecutive rispetto a diverse acquisizioni matematiche, dai prerequisiti alla risoluzione di problemi matematici, in cui sono contemporaneamente considerate diverse abilità, così che sia più chiaro il ruolo specifico dei processi di interesse. I risultati enfatizzano il ruolo della memoria di lavoro, ma indicano altresì come i processi esecutivi, e in particolare l’inibizione, consentano di spiegare porzioni significative di varianza sia in prestazioni in prove di prerequisito matematico, sia in prove utili a indagare le prime abilità di calcolo e anche nella procedura di risoluzione di problemi aritmetici