Toddlers' Everyday Experiences as Related to Preceding Mental and Emotional Disposition and Their Relationship to Subsequent Mental and Motivational Development: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study

Abstract

The aims of the study were (1) to assess the relationship between children's everyday experiences and preceding mental and emotional disposition; (2) to describe the relationships between children's experiences and the children's mental and motivational development; (3) to derive hypotheses about the transactional connections between individual disposition, quality of experience, and mental and motivational development. Mental development and emotional disposition of 24 children were assessed at 12 months. During the second year type and quality of children's everyday experiences were repeatedly observed at home. At 24 months mental development was assessed again. In addition, children's motivation was observed during free play. The results reveal a transactional process for the mental and motivational development during the second year. Type and quality of children's everyday experiences were related to their individual mental and emotional disposition. In addition, level and quality of experiences were associated with subsequent mental and motivational development.

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