Interconnected Pathways: Postural Stability and Vocabulary Skills in Preschool-Aged Children

Abstract

Previous research has highlighted an interplay between postural abilities and linguistic skills during infancy. However, this relationship could undergo further radical transformations in other periods of development. This current study explored a plausible network of relationships among postural abilities and vocabulary skills in a substantial cohort (N = 222) of preschoolers aged between 2 and 5 years—a developmental phase critical for refining both language and motor competencies. Here, postural stability was measured in terms of balance duration and accuracy, alongside an assessment of comprehension and expressive vocabulary skills. Employing a diverse set of techniques, i.e., data and missing data visualization and multilevel regression analysis, task complexity and age emerged as crucial factors explaining our data. In addition, network analysis indicates that language production plays a central role within postural and language interdomain networks. The resulting discussion focuses on the useful implications of this study for the assessment of typical preschool development, which would benefit from tailored methodological inspections guided by developmental theories that are framed in inter-domain approaches.