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Vocabulary competence in early childhood: measurement, latent construct, and predictive validity
1National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-2030, USA. Marc_H_Bornstein@nih.gov
Child Development
|July 29, 1998
Summary
Early vocabulary competence in 20-month-olds predicts later intelligence. This study confirms that measures of child language from various sources converge on a single vocabulary construct, predicting future cognitive abilities.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Child language development is multifaceted, with various measures assessing comprehension and expression.
- Understanding the convergence and predictive validity of these measures is crucial for early identification and intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically examine the relations among multiple child language measures from diverse sources.
- To investigate the construct validity of a latent vocabulary competence factor.
- To assess the predictive validity of early vocabulary for later cognitive abilities.
Main Methods:
- Utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) with data from 184 20-month-olds and their mothers.
- Included language measures from child-mother speech, experimenter assessments, and maternal reports.
- Controlled for socioeconomic status, maternal education, maternal verbal intelligence, and social desirability.
Main Results:
- SEM supported strong relations among child language measures from different sources.
- Multiple language measures loaded onto a single latent construct of vocabulary competence.
- Vocabulary competence at 20 months predicted verbal and performance IQ at 48 months, with verbal IQ showing stronger prediction.
Conclusions:
- Child language measures from various sources effectively capture a unified vocabulary competence.
- Early vocabulary development is a significant predictor of later intellectual functioning.
- Non-vocabulary language measures and symbolic play did not covary with vocabulary competence.