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Early communicative gestures prospectively predict language development and executive function in early childhood.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kuhn, LJ; Willoughby, MT; Wilbourn, MP; Vernon-Feagans, L; Blair, CB; Family Life Project Key Investigators,
Published in: Child development
September 2014

Using an epidemiological sample (N = 1,117) and a prospective longitudinal design, this study tested the direct and indirect effects of preverbal and verbal communication (15 months to 3 years) on executive function (EF) at age 4 years. Results indicated that whereas gestures (15 months), as well as language (2 and 3 years), were correlated with later EF (φs ≥ .44), the effect was entirely mediated through later language. In contrast, language had significant direct and indirect effects on later EF. Exploratory analyses indicated that the pattern of results was comparable for low- and not-low-income families. The results were consistent with theoretical accounts of language as a precursor of EF ability, and highlighted gesture as an early indicator of EF.

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Published In

Child development

DOI

EISSN

1467-8624

ISSN

0009-3920

Publication Date

September 2014

Volume

85

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1898 / 1914

Related Subject Headings

  • Prospective Studies
  • Language Development
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Gestures
  • Executive Function
  • Developmental & Child Psychology
  • Child, Preschool
  • 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
  • 3904 Specialist studies in education
 

Citation

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Kuhn, L. J., Willoughby, M. T., Wilbourn, M. P., Vernon-Feagans, L., Blair, C. B., & Family Life Project Key Investigators, . (2014). Early communicative gestures prospectively predict language development and executive function in early childhood. Child Development, 85(5), 1898–1914. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12249
Kuhn, Laura J., Michael T. Willoughby, Makeba Parramore Wilbourn, Lynne Vernon-Feagans, Clancy B. Blair, and Clancy B. Family Life Project Key Investigators. “Early communicative gestures prospectively predict language development and executive function in early childhood.Child Development 85, no. 5 (September 2014): 1898–1914. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12249.
Kuhn LJ, Willoughby MT, Wilbourn MP, Vernon-Feagans L, Blair CB, Family Life Project Key Investigators. Early communicative gestures prospectively predict language development and executive function in early childhood. Child development. 2014 Sep;85(5):1898–914.
Kuhn, Laura J., et al. “Early communicative gestures prospectively predict language development and executive function in early childhood.Child Development, vol. 85, no. 5, Sept. 2014, pp. 1898–914. Epmc, doi:10.1111/cdev.12249.
Kuhn LJ, Willoughby MT, Wilbourn MP, Vernon-Feagans L, Blair CB, Family Life Project Key Investigators. Early communicative gestures prospectively predict language development and executive function in early childhood. Child development. 2014 Sep;85(5):1898–1914.
Journal cover image

Published In

Child development

DOI

EISSN

1467-8624

ISSN

0009-3920

Publication Date

September 2014

Volume

85

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1898 / 1914

Related Subject Headings

  • Prospective Studies
  • Language Development
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Gestures
  • Executive Function
  • Developmental & Child Psychology
  • Child, Preschool
  • 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
  • 3904 Specialist studies in education