The goal of the proposed research is to continue the rapid screening of infant cognitive measures, obtained at 9 months of age and earlier, as predictors of adult IQ. Infant twins will be assessed to establish the genetic and environmental bases of the infant measures, and their parents' IQ will be measured using the WAIS-R and a specific cognitive abilities test battery. Mean parental IQ will be taken as the best available predictor of infants' later IQ, with the strength of the relationship being estimated by midtwin/midparent correlations and regressions. In addition, however, all infant twins will now become subjects in the independently funded MacArthur Longitudinal Twin Study, providing a direct longitudinal perspective up to 3 years of age that will enhance the value of and strengthen the proposed research. During the continuation period, we will select and strengthen those infant measures showing most promise as predictors of parental IQ. These involve non-motoric, attentional, and information processing tasks. Specifically, they are Fagan's infant intelligence test based on visual novelty preference and Haith's visual reaction time anticipation task. In view of the success of the novelty and anticipation measures, an auditory novelty preference task and a manipulatory anticipation (reaching) measure will be added. Haith's visual anticipation task and the two additional tasks will be administered by him in his laboratory. Measures of complexity of vocalization and other less directly related measures such as tester ratings (IBR), hand preference, orientation tasks, and selected Bayley items also will be included. We will extend the age of testing to include 5 months so that the study will be even more relevant to early prediction of IQ, and will double the sample size to include 400 twin pairs and 100 singletons in order to put our exciting preliminary findings on a firm empirical basis. The practical significance of this research lies in the diagnostic and therapeutic benefit that will ensue from the ability to predict adult intelligence from a brief and reliable battery of measures obtained in infancy. Its theoretical significance lies in the re- evaluation of the nature of infant intelligence.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HD019802-05
Application #
3317380
Study Section
Human Development and Aging Subcommittee 3 (HUD)
Project Start
1984-12-01
Project End
1991-11-30
Budget Start
1989-12-01
Budget End
1990-11-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
1990
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Colorado at Boulder
Department
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
City
Boulder
State
CO
Country
United States
Zip Code
80309
Rhea, Sally-Ann; Gross, Andy A; Haberstick, Brett C et al. (2013) Colorado Twin Registry: an update. Twin Res Hum Genet 16:351-7
Haworth, Claire M A; Wright, Margaret J; Martin, Nicolas W et al. (2009) A twin study of the genetics of high cognitive ability selected from 11,000 twin pairs in six studies from four countries. Behav Genet 39:359-70
Rhea, Sally-Ann; Gross, Andy A; Haberstick, Brett C et al. (2006) Colorado Twin Registry. Twin Res Hum Genet 9:941-9
DiLalla, L F; Bishop, E G (1996) Differential maternal treatment of infant twins: effects of infant behaviors. Behav Genet 26:535-42
Cardon, L R; Fulker, D W (1994) A model of developmental change in hierarchical phenotypes with application to specific cognitive abilities. Behav Genet 24:1-16
Cherny, S S; Cardon, L R; Fulker, D W et al. (1992) Differential heritability across levels of cognitive ability. Behav Genet 22:153-62
Thompson, L A; Fagan, J F; Fulker, D W (1991) Longitudinal prediction of specific cognitive abilities from infant novelty preference. Child Dev 62:530-8
Cyphers, L H; Phillips, K; Fulker, D W et al. (1990) Twin temperament during the transition from infancy to early childhood. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 29:392-7
Rice, T; Carey, G; Fulker, D W et al. (1989) Multivariate path analysis of specific cognitive abilities in the Colorado Adoption Project: conditional path model of assortative mating. Behav Genet 19:195-207
Phillips, K (1989) Delta path methods for modeling the effects of multiple selective associations in adoption designs. Behav Genet 19:609-20

Showing the most recent 10 out of 13 publications