Negative emotionality and poor attention may combine or interact as risk factors in
development. Negative emotionality is considered a challenge for self-regulation,
whereas good attention is a potential means of self-regulation. In the current
study, composites of 1- and 2-year maternal ratings of negative emotionality and
global ratings of observed attentiveness were predictors for 3.5-year cognitive and
behavioural outcome for 75 children. Results of variable-based regression analyses
indicated that early negativity and attentiveness predicted IQ and scores on a
hyperactivity index; only negativity predicted a global measure of behaviour
problems. Results of person-based analyses for groups formed by median splits on
negativity and attention suggested that the More Negative/Less Attentive group had
significantly poorer outcome than the other three groups combined (those with one or
none of the two risk factors). Comparisons of mean differences also suggested a
protective effect of greater attentiveness for more negative as opposed to less
negative children for all outcomes. The results extend prior work in providing
longitudinal data over the first 3 years and including both cognitive and
behavioural outcomes.
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