Well-Being and Cognition Are Coupled During Development: A Preregistered Longitudinal Study of 1,136 Children and Adolescents
Clinical Psychological Science, vol. 10, pp. 450–466
Abstract
Well-being and cognition are linked in adulthood, but how the two domains interact during development is currently unclear. Using a complex systems approach, we preregistered and modeled the relationship between well-being and cognition in a prospective cohort of 1,136 children between the ages of 6 to 7 years and 15 years. We found bidirectional interactions between well-being and cognition that unfold dynamically over time. Higher externalizing symptoms in childhood predicted fewer gains in planning over time (standardized estimate [β] = −0.14, p = .019), whereas higher childhood vocabulary predicted smaller increases in loneliness over time (β = −0.34, p ≤ .001). These interactions were characterized by modifiable risk and resilience factors: Relationships to parents, friendship quality, socioeconomic status, and puberty onset were all linked to both cognitive and well-being outcomes. Thus, cognition and well-being are inextricably intertwined during development and may be malleable to social and biological factors.
Authors 3
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Delia Fuhrmann corresponding
University of Cambridge · King's College London · MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London
MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London
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Leiden University · University of Cambridge
Affiliation as printed
Brain Safety and Resilience, Education and Child Studies, Leiden University
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
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University of Cambridge · Radboud University Nijmegen · Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour · MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
Affiliation as printed
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University
MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge
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