The Role of Inhibitory Control, Attention and Vocabulary in Physical Aggression Trajectories From Infancy to...

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Child Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Physical aggression emerges early in development.
• Prior research has not examined physical aggression trajectories before 1.5 years.
• The role of cognition in early physical aggression development is understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of cognition in physical aggression development from infancy.
• To identify trajectories of physical aggression starting as early as 12 months.
• To examine the relationship between early cognitive abilities and physical aggression development.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of 182 mother-child dyads (12, 20, 30 months).
• Maternal reports using the Physical Aggression Scale for Early Childhood.
• Cognitive assessments measuring inhibitory control and attention.
• Maternal ratings of child vocabulary.

Main Results:

• Four distinct physical aggression trajectories were identified by 12 months: low-stable, low-increasing, moderate-decreasing, and high-stable.
• Early inhibitory control, attention, and vocabulary at 12 months were associated with specific aggression trajectories.
• The development of these cognitive abilities between 12 and 30 months also influenced aggression trajectory.
• Cognitive factors were selectively related to the low-increasing and moderate-decreasing trajectories compared to the low-stable trajectory.

Conclusions:

• Differential physical aggression development begins in infancy (by 12 months).
• Specific cognitive abilities and their development are linked to distinct physical aggression trajectories.
• This study highlights the crucial role of early cognition in shaping physical aggression from infancy onwards.