Temperament ratings by parents and teachers as predictors of non‐verbal ability in Argentinean preschoolers

Abstract

AbstractChild temperament is a predictor of non‐verbal ability (i.e. thinking and problem‐solving skills that do not fundamentally require verbal language production and comprehension). Given that temperament scores might vary depending on whether the reporter is a parent or a teacher, this study analyses (a) whether those reports are different and (b) how each report predicts child non‐verbal ability in a non‐western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic sample. The Matrix subtest of KABC‐II (a non‐verbal ability task widely used in non‐western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic contexts) was administered to 85 Argentinian children (47 girls, 38 boys) aged 4–5 years, from middle‐to‐low socioeconomic status homes. Also, the Child Behaviour Questionnaire‐Very Short Form was administered to obtain temperament reports from parents and teachers. We will compare the parent's and teacher's reports on temperament using Mann–Whitney U‐tests. Finally, multiple linear regression analyses will be conducted to explore how parent and teacher reports of temperament predict non‐verbal ability. Each temperament dimension will be analysed separately. Results should be interpreted considering the low sample size.