Abstract
To date, virtually no studies have examined toddlers' non-response in developmental tasks. This study investigates data from 3667 toddlers to address (1) whether two aspects of non-response (completion and engagement) are separable, (2) how stable these aspects are from ages two to three, (3) how non-response relates to background characteristics, and (4) whether non-response at ages two and three predicts early academic skills at age six. Structural equation modelling shows that completion and engagement are separable constructs, relatively stable across age, and related to several background characteristics. Especially engagement predicts later academic performance. Results show that non-response in behavioural tasks in toddlers is not random, increasing the likelihood of sampling bias and lack of generalizability in developmental studies.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e2376 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-18 |
Journal | Infant and Child Development |
Volume | 32 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 17 Oct 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2022 The Authors. Infant and Child Development published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Keywords
- early academic skills
- non-response
- representativity
- task completion
- task engagement
- toddlers