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Examining the Associations Between Performance Based and Ratings of Focused Attention in Toddlers: Are We Measuring

Ibrahim H Acar1, Scott Frohn2, Amanda Prokasky3

  • 1Department of Early Childhood Education, College of Education, Istanbul Medipol University, Room C-307, Beykoz, 34810 Istanbul, Turkey, +90 212 444 8544.

Infant and Child Development
|March 12, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Parent ratings of toddler focused attention do not align with observer ratings or performance measures. A single factor for focused attention emerges in toddlers aged 36 and 42 months, but not at 30 months.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cognitive Development
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Focused attention is crucial for cognitive and social development in early childhood.
  • Understanding the convergence of different measurement methods is vital for accurate assessment.
  • Previous research has yielded mixed results on the consistency of attention measures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine concurrent and longitudinal associations between ratings-based and performance-based measures of focused attention in toddlers.
  • To investigate the construct validity of focused attention across different age points (30, 36, and 42 months).
  • To determine if a common factor underlies focused attention indicators across development.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study involving 147 toddlers at 30 months, 127 at 36 months, and 107 at 42 months.
  • Utilized parent/caregiver ratings (Children's Behavior Questionnaire) and observer ratings (Leiter-R Examiner Rating Scale).
  • Assessed performance-based focused attention via structured laboratory tasks (Token Sort, Toy Play, Lock Box).

Main Results:

  • Parent ratings showed no significant correlations with observer ratings or performance-based measures at any age.
  • Confirmatory factor analyses revealed a single underlying factor for focused attention in 36- and 42-month-olds, but not 30-month-olds.
  • This factor demonstrated measurement invariance between 36 and 42 months.

Conclusions:

  • Parental perception of focused attention may not align with objective performance or observer assessments in toddlers.
  • A coherent construct of focused attention appears to stabilize between 36 and 42 months of age.
  • Further research is needed to reconcile discrepancies between subjective ratings and objective performance measures.

Keywords:
Performance based Focused AttentionRatings of Focused AttentionStructured TasksTemperamentToddlers

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