Journal article
Investigating how and for whom cumulative positive childhood experiences in infancy promote adaptive socioemotional development at preschool age
Development and psychopathology
08/07/2026
DOI: 10.1017/S0954579426101801
PMID: 42565309
Appears in UI Libraries Support Open Access
Abstract
Recently, we have witnessed a growing shift from an emphasis on problematic processes to that on positive processes and outcomes in developmental psychopathology and psychological research more generally. Adopting this lens, we addressed three aims. One, we examined developmental sequelae of cumulative positive childhood experiences (PCEs) in infancy, but in contrast to typical retrospective recall, we deployed multiple behavioral and parent-reported measures in a prospective design. We examined children’s socioemotional strengths and competencies – rather than diminished or absent problems – as outcomes at preschool age. Two, we examined how PCEs exert their impact, proposing children’s competence at toddler age as a mediator. Three, we proposed children’s negative emotional reactivity (anger proneness) as a moderator, expecting anger-prone children to be especially affected by variations in early positive experiences. A longitudinal study of 200 mothers, fathers, and infants (96 girls, 104 boys; 20% not “White alone”) from the U.S. Midwest, followed from 8 months to 4.5 years, confirmed the utility of a conceptual and methodological approach that emphasizes cumulative early PCEs and positive socioemotional outcomes and supported both hypotheses (mediation: B = 0.05, SE = 0.02, 95% CI [0.02, 0.10]; moderation: B = 0.12, SE = 0.06, 95% CI [0.01, 0.25]).
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Investigating how and for whom cumulative positive childhood experiences in infancy promote adaptive socioemotional development at preschool age
- Creators
- Juyoung Kim - University of IowaHaley Michelle Herbert - Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, USAGrazyna Kochanska - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Development and psychopathology
- DOI
- 10.1017/S0954579426101801
- PMID
- 42565309
- NLM abbreviation
- Dev Psychopathol
- ISSN
- 1469-2198
- eISSN
- 1469-2198
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press; CAMBRIDGE
- Grant note
- NIH: R01HD091047, R01HD110427
This study was supported by NIH grants R01HD091047 and R01HD110427 to Grazyna Kochanska. The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 08/07/2026
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9985217059802771
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