Relations between Temperament, Sensory Processing, and Motor Coordination in 3-Year-Old Children

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Poor motor skills and atypical sensory processing are recognized behavioral indicators in neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Understanding the interplay between temperament, sensory processing, and motor skills is crucial for early identification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationships between temperament, sensory processing, and motor coordination in healthy 3-year-old children.
• To examine an expanded model based on Rothbart's three-factor temperamental theory.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Japanese versions of the Children's Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ), Sensory Profile (SP-J), and Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (LDCDQ).
• Analyzed data from 171 healthy children (81 girls, 90 boys) using covariance structure analysis.

Main Results:

• Effortful control significantly impacts both sensory processing and motor coordination.
• The 'control during movement' subscale of the LDCDQ is influenced by surgency.
• Temperamental negative affect and surgency each affect specific subscales of the SP-J.

Conclusions:

• Effortful control is a key temperamental factor linking sensory processing and motor coordination in early childhood.
• Specific temperamental traits like surgency and negative affect are associated with variations in sensory processing and motor control.
• Findings contribute to understanding behavioral markers relevant to neurodevelopmental trajectories.