Am J Psychiatry 1987; 144:144-150
Copyright © 1987 by American Psychiatric Association
Temperament and intellectual development: a longitudinal study from infancy to four years
M Maziade, R Cote, P Boutin, H Bernier and J Thivierge
Using three temperamentally different subgroups from a large birth cohort,
the authors undertook a longitudinal study of the association between
temperament measured in children at 4 and 8 months and IQ assessed at 4.7
years. The data suggested a strong effect of extreme temperament traits on
IQ development in middle and upper socioeconomic classes and in families
with superior functioning in terms of communication. The temperamentally
difficult group unexpectedly displayed higher IQs, and the well-replicated
effect of socioeconomic status on IQ development was observed mainly in
this group. These data support the hypothesis that difficult infants
activate special family resources, which stimulates intellectual
development over the years.
