RJA as a Mediator of Temperament-Language Relationships in 15-Month Olds

Past research has identified links between temperament and language development in young children. A third variable, joint attention, has been linked to both of these domains. In fact, past research has suggested that joint attention may mediate the relationship between temperament and language development in the second year. Although one study has investigated whether toddler initiation of joint attention mediated temperament-language relationships, to my knowledge no researchers have investigated whether responsiveness to joint attentional bids (RJA) may also mediate temperament-language relationships. The purpose of the proposed study is to examine whether RJA might be identified as a mediator of the relationship between temperament and language development. In an archival sample of 60 15-month-olds, RJA, language skills, and temperament were assessed by analyzing RJA behavior during four events, parent report on the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI), and scores on the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ). Data will be analyzed during the Spring of 2012. Results of this study will potentially have implications for understanding the role of RJA in temperamentlanguage relationships.