Early childhood theory of mind and effortful control underpin preadolescent thought and attention problems

Thought problems and attention problems are common in childhood and are important for later-emerging psychological disorders, yet less is known about the early childhood predictors underpinning such problems. We examined whether early childhood theory of mind (ToM) and effortful control (EC) constitute predictors for preadolescent thought and attention problems. We longitudinally tracked 214 children's ToM and EC, assessed with behavioral tasks, at ages 3 and 6, along with their thought and attention problems at ages 6 and 10, assessed using maternal report. Findings show that poorer ToM at age 6 predicted more severe development of thought problems emerging between ages 6 and 10, and poorer EC at age 6 predicted more attention problems at age 10. These findings reveal the developmental links between ToM, EC, thought problems, and attention problems, offering implications for developmental-psychopathology accounts and highlighting the importance of early childhood predictors on developing thought and attention problems' symptomology.