title: The role of language in concern and disregard for others in the first years of life.
abstract: We examined the associations between language skills and concern and disregard for others in young children assessed longitudinally at ages 14, 20, 24, and 36 months, testing the hypothesis that language skills have a specific role (distinct from that of general cognitive ability) in the development of concern and disregard for others. We found that higher language skills predicted higher concern for others and lower disregard for others even after controlling for general cognitive ability, whereas the association between general cognitive ability and concern/disregard for others was not significant after controlling for language skills. Language skills at 14 months predicted concern for others at 36 months, and results suggested that the relations between language skills and concern and disregard for others begin early in development. Gender differences in concern and disregard for others were at least partially explained by differences in language skills. These results support the specific role of language skills in concern and disregard for others.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Campus Box 345, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0345, USA. soo.rhe@colorado.edu
authors.forename: Soo Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Debra L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Boeldt
authors.forename: Naomi P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Robin P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Corley
authors.forename: John K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hewitt
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knafo
authors.forename: Joann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Irwin D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Waldman
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Van Hulle
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zahn-Waxler
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004645:Empathy; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007802:Language; D007804:Language Development; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013223:Statistics as Topic