RESUMEN
We know relatively little about the development of disruptive behaviors (DBs), and gender differences therein. The objective of this study was to describe the continuity and discontinuity in the degree to which young children in the general population are reported to exhibit specific DBs over time. Data came from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. First, the results show that relatively few children exhibit DBs on a frequent basis at 41 months of age. Second, the results show that a majority of children who exhibit a particular DB on a frequent basis at 41 months of age did not do so 1 year earlier. In addition, a majority of children who exhibited a particular DB on a frequent basis at 29 months of age no longer do so 1 year later. Third, gender differences in DBs (boys > girls) are either emerging or at least increasing in magnitude between 29 and 41 months of age. Consistent with the canalization of the behavioral development principle, children who exhibited DBs on a frequent basis at 29 months of age are less likely to stop doing so in the following year if they had exhibited the same behaviors at 17 months of age.
RESUMEN
Recent epidemiological evidence suggests that even in the midst of the "terrible twos," frequent/severe oppositional-defiant behaviors (ODBs) are not common among toddlers and hence may be indicative of a significant opposition-defiance problem. The main objective of this study was to obtain a maximum likelihood estimate of the proportion of toddlers in the general population who are reported to exhibit ODBs on a frequent basis, and to test for gender differences therein. Data came from The Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a survey of a representative birth cohort of children from the Canadian province of Québec. Multigroup latent class analysis was used to distinguish between toddlers who exhibit ODBs on a frequent basis and those who do so only occasionally or not at all. The results show that 12.4% of 17-month-old boys and girls exhibit ODBs on a frequent basis. Further, the results show a strong positive association between opposition-defiance and physical aggression early in life, with a great majority of physically aggressive toddlers exhibiting ODBs on a frequent basis. In contrast, the results show that only a minority of toddlers who may be experiencing a significant opposition-defiance problem exhibit physically aggressive behaviors on a frequent basis.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: There is now emerging epidemiological evidence that a substantial proportion of toddlers in the general population may be experiencing a significant opposition-defiance problem before 2 years of age. This article describes the continuity and discontinuity in boys' and girls' opposition-defiance statuses during toddlerhood. METHOD: Data came from The Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a survey of a representative birth cohort of children from the Canadian province of Québec. A time-specific latent variables (Markov) model was used to estimate the proportion of toddlers who cease or start to exhibit oppositional-defiant behaviors (ODBs) on a frequent basis between 17 and 29 months of age and to test for gender differences therein. RESULTS: A majority of toddlers who had exhibited ODBs on a frequent basis at 17 months of age were still doing so 1 year later. Also, a majority of toddlers who did exhibit ODBs on a frequent basis at 29 months of age had done so 1 year earlier. The results also show that there are more toddlers who start than stop exhibiting ODBs on a frequent basis during this period. Further, the continuity and discontinuity in toddlers' opposition-defiance statuses during this period did not vary between boys and girls, suggesting that gender differences in opposition-defiance have not yet emerged by the second half of the third year of life. CONCLUSION: The predictive accuracy of early opposition-defiance is very good, with a substantial proportion of toddlers experiencing a significant opposition-defiance problem throughout toddlerhood.