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Observed temperament from ages 6 to 36 months predicts parent- and teacher-reported attention-deficit/hyperactivity
Michael T Willoughby1, Nisha C Gottfredson2, Cynthia A Stifter3
1RTI International.
Insights
Early childhood temperament, specifically regulation, predicts later attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) behaviors. Both temperament reactivity and regulation together are linked to ADHD risk in children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Temperament, comprising reactivity and regulation, is a foundational aspect of early child development.
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder with potential early risk indicators.
- Understanding the link between early temperament and later ADHD is crucial for early identification and intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the prospective association between observational temperament indicators (6-36 months) and first-grade ADHD behaviors.
- To investigate the predictive roles of temperamental reactivity and regulation in relation to ADHD behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Family Life Project, including 1,074 children with temperament and ADHD behavioral data.
- Employed variable-centered regression models to assess individual temperament components.
- Applied latent profile analysis and person-centered regression models to explore combined temperament profiles.
Main Results:
- Initially, only temperament regulation, not reactivity, predicted ADHD behaviors in variable-centered models.
- Person-centered models revealed that both temperamental reactivity and regulation, individually and combined, predicted ADHD behaviors.
- Predictive associations were modest, with R-squared values ranging from .10 to .17.
Conclusions:
- Early temperament profiles, encompassing both reactivity and regulation, are associated with later ADHD behaviors.
- Findings support the potential for using early temperament assessments in identifying children at risk for ADHD.
- Further research can refine the use of temperament in early ADHD risk assessment strategies.
Abstract:
This study tested the prospective association between observational indicators of temperament, which were obtained across multiple assessments when children were 6-36 months of age, and parent and teacher reports of children's attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) behaviors, when children were in first grade. Data were drawn from the Family Life Project and included 1,074 children for whom temperament and either parent- or teacher-reported ADHD behavioral data were available. The results of variable-centered regression models indicated that individual differences in temperament regulation, but not temperamental reactivity, was uniquely predictive of parent- and teacher-reported ADHD behaviors. Latent profile analyses were used to characterize configurations of temperamental reactivity and regulation. Person-centered regression models were subsequently estimated in which temperamental profile membership replaced continuous indicators of temperamental reactivity and regulation as predictors. The results of person-centered regression models indicated that temperamental reactivity and regulation both contributed (both alone and in combination) to the prediction of subsequent ADHD behaviors. In general, the predictive associations from early temperament to later ADHD were of modest magnitude (R 2 = .10-.17). Results are discussed with respect to interest in the early identification of children who are at elevated risk for later ADHD.
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