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Ritual, habit, and perfectionism: the prevalence and development of compulsive-like behavior in normal young children
D W Evans1, J F Leckman, A Carter
1University of New Orleans, Department of Psychology 70148, USA. dweps@uno.edu
Insights
Young children exhibit compulsive-like behaviors, with frequency peaking between ages two and four. The Childhood Routines Inventory (CRI) helps assess these normal developmental patterns.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychopathology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Young children display ritualistic, repetitive, and compulsive-like behaviors as part of normal development.
- Limited empirical data exists on the onset, prevalence, and developmental course of these behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a parent-report questionnaire, the Childhood Routines Inventory (CRI), for assessing compulsive-like behavior in young children.
- To examine the developmental trajectory of compulsive-like behaviors in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- A parent-report questionnaire, the Childhood Routines Inventory (CRI), was administered to 1,492 parents of children aged 8 to 72 months.
- The CRI demonstrated strong internal consistency and a two-factor structure.
Main Results:
- The frequency of compulsive-like behaviors varied significantly with age.
- Children aged two, three, and four years exhibited higher rates of compulsive behavior compared to those younger than one or older than four years.
Conclusions:
- Compulsive-like behaviors in young children follow a distinct developmental trajectory, peaking in the preschool years.
- Findings support a developmental psychopathology framework and highlight the need for further research into these behaviors.
Abstract:
Young children engage in a significant amount of ritualistic, repetitive, and compulsive-like activity that appears to be part of their normal behavioral repertoire. Empirically, little is known about the onset, prevalence, and developmental trajectory of these phenomena. A parent-report questionnaire, the Childhood Routines Inventory (CRI), was developed to assess compulsive-like behavior in young children, and was administered to 1,492 parents with children between the ages of 8 and 72 months. The CRI has strong overall internal consistency and a distinct two-factor structure. The frequency of compulsive-like behaviors changes with age: Two-, 3-, and 4-year-olds engaged in more compulsive behavior than children younger than 1 year of age and older than 4 years of age. Results are discussed from a developmental psychopathology framework and for their implications for future research in this area.