The issue of continuity will be studied in the context of variability in developmental pathways and variability in parent/child relationships. The major aim of the proposed study is to empirically test a structural model for predicting cognitive competence at 2 years of age from knowledge of children's cognitive competence, including cognitive skill and mastery motivation, and temperament at earlier ages with groups of children with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, normal abilities, and from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The contribution of mother's IQ and temperament and mother-child interaction patterns to children's cognitive competence at age 2 will also be examined. The structural model will be tested as it applies to the entire data set and then as a multiple group model. Alternative patterns of relationships will also be tested by the data.
The second aim of the proposed study is to examine variations in parent and child dimensions across the four groups. In particular, the extent to which continuities are governed by the same constructs within groups of children with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, normal abilities, and from low SES backgrounds will be examined.
The third aim of the proposed study is to explore the potential of cognitive motivation and affective measures for assessing the actual competencies of handicapped children. The results of this research may have direct implications for refining assessments for at-risk groups as well as pinpointing important contributors to stable individual differences in the search for continuity in development.
