Infant expectations and reaction time as predictors of childhood speed of processing and IQ.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Prospective longitudinal cohort study assessing infant predictors at 3.5 months and outcomes at 4 years.
PubMed 9050399 · doi:10.1037//0012-1649.33.1.146
What was done
In a prospective longitudinal cohort study, measures of visual anticipation and visual reaction time (RT) were assessed at 3.5 months and 4 years of age. At age 4, manual RT, verbal IQ, performance IQ, and the effect of cognitive load (eye movement initiation with or without a manual choice button press) were also evaluated.
What was found
The abstract provides directional associations without reporting sample size, correlation coefficients, or numerical values. Infant visual RT correlated reliably with childhood visual RT, and infant performance correlated significantly with childhood IQ. Concurrent childhood performance also correlated with childhood IQ. Children were slower to initiate eye movements when a manual choice button press was required, and this load effect decreased as IQ increased. Visual RT and manual RT in childhood were only marginally correlated.
Why it matters
This study provides evidence that early information processing speed and anticipation measured in the first half-year of life demonstrate developmental stability and predict IQ at age 4.
Limits
The abstract provides no sample size, effect sizes, p-values, or confidence intervals. Crucial potential confounders, such as socioeconomic status, parental IQ, and environmental stimulation, are not addressed in the abstract.
Cited by
- partial Visual processing reaction time in infants during their first year of life is correlated with adult IQ.