Infant Roots of Later Cognition

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A fundamental issue in research on infant cognition concerns the consequences of infant abilities for mature intellect. One goal of this proposal is to examine the possibility that core cognitive abilities from infancy, namely, memory, speed of processing, attention, and representation competence persist, and provide the foundation for later intelligence and achievement. A second goal is to examine the extent to which children born at risk (preterms) show deficits in these core cognitive abilities, not only in infancy, but childhood, and the import of early deficits for later outcome. Preterm deficits in childhood will also be examined for three overlapping but distinct aspects of executive function, a cognitive domain not studied in infancy. To address these issues we will follow-up, at ages 11 and 13 years, a large cohort (N = 203) of full-terms and preterms (