Development of Parent-Reported Attention/Impulse Regulation and Cognitive Abilities (Intellectual Abilities and Executive Functions) in a Community Sample

Parent-reported attention/impulse regulation and cognitive abilities have been used to operationalize and measure the development of self-regulation. Parent-reported attention/impulse regulation is often measured by caregiver ratings. Cognitive abilities, such as intelligence and executive function, are typically assessed using performance-based measures. Both these domains of self-regulation are often implicated in at-risk and clinical samples as important predictors of socio-emotional, academic and vocational outcomes. To better understand the development of competency in these domains, data were examined from a community sample of children and youth, assessed longitudinally across an age range of 8-20 years. Repeated measures ANOVAs, correlations and cross-lagged panel models examined relationships among and between domains over time. Cognitive abilities improved with time, whereas parent-reported attention/impulse regulation remained unchanged across follow-ups. Relationships among cognitive variables and parent-reported attention/impulse regulation were small. We discuss methodological issues that should be addressed in future research assessing the development of these constructs.