Digital Commons Network^™

Does Joint Attention Mediate The Relationship Between Temperament And Language?, Brenda J. Salley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individual differences in child temperament have been associated with individual differences in language development; similarly, relationships have been separately reported among temperament, language and early nonverbal social communication (joint attention). The present study examined the relationship between temperament and language, in the context of joint attention as an underlying developmental variable mediating this association. Temperament, language and joint attention were assessed in 51 Appalachian 21-month-old toddlers. Results indicate a relationship between aspects of temperamental difficulty, including low executive control and high negative affect, and low language. A relationship was also found between temperament and joint attention, such that aspects of …