Tipping points? Curvilinear associations between activity level and mental development in toddlers

Abstract

Different measures of AL provide different information. Observations of AL which include both qualitative and quantitative aspects of AL within structured situations are able to capture beneficial aspects of normative AL as well as detriments of both low and high AL.

Commentary: On the importance of looking at nonlinearity and developmental effects – a reflection on Flom et al. (2017)

“…For example, in a similar fashion to Flom et al. (), one study found a curvilinear association between maternal behavioral control and externalizing behaviors in 3‐year‐old children (Akcinar & Baydar, ). That study supports the idea that both high and low maternal behavioral control would lead to higher levels of externalizing behaviors by promoting an inability in children to self‐regulate.…”

“…Flom, Cohen, and Saudino () examined linear and curvilinear associations between mental development and activity level. Activity at 2 and 3 years old was assessed using three sources, that is, parent ratings, observations during a play and test situation, and actigraphs in the lab and at home.…”

“…However, the results of Flom et al. () not only highlight the importance of going beyond linear associations when analyzing data but also of using theory to guide those analyzes. For example, in a similar fashion to Flom et al.…”

“…Because attention also involves a capacity to modulate activity level (Ruff & Rothbart, ), children's capacity to self‐regulate in a test situation is more likely to be reflected in their test performance, as in Flom et al. 's () study which measured mental development.…”

“…From a developmental perspective, the increase in capacity to regulate activity level may also be an explanation for larger effect sizes in the test situation at 3 years of age compared to 2 years of age (Flom et al., ). Indeed, self‐regulation is not fully acquired at 2 years of age and the capacity for children to exert control to meet situational demands develops throughout childhood (Montroy, Bowles, Skibbe, McClelland, & Morrison, ; Ruff & Rothbart, ).…”