The structure of social and cognitive development in Native American children

Abstract

An important question in the area of child development is the nature of the relationship between social and cognitive development. Does cognitive development affect social competence, are there reciprocal effects between the two areas, or does social competence affect cognitive development? The present study investigated the direction of effect between social development and cognitive development in Native American children during early childhood. The study involved the secondary analysis of existing data from the Navajo Nation Transition Project. Data for one hundred and fifty-one children attending Kindergarten were used in the study. The children were graduates of Head Start, a program that offered services to promote the development of low-income children and their families. Cognitive and social developmental level in this study was measured by a measurement and planning system (MAPS) devised for the assessment of young children's developing ability through a path-referenced approach. A nonrecursive linear structural equation model was used to examine if there was a reciprocal relationship between social and cognitive development. The study revealed a direction of effect from cognitive development to social development. No reciprocal relationship was found between the two areas of development. Future research directions and implications were also addressed.