Neuropediatrics 2016; 47 - FV01-07
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1583713

Preterm and Full-Term Children Do Not Differ in Their Perspective-Taking Ability

S. Witt 1, N. Zmyj 1, A. Weitkämper 2, H. Neumann 2, T. Lücke 2
  • 1TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
  • 2University Children’s Hospital, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany

Background/Purpose: Prematurity is associated with several developmental deficits concerning intellectual abilities as well as social interactions. These interaction problems might be related to a delayed emergence of social-cognitive skills. Therefore the primary objective of this study was to determine relationships between prematurity and the development of perspective-taking abilities in 3- to 5-year-old children.

Methods: Using a longitudinal study design, preterm (gestational age < 34 weeks and birth weight < 1500 g) and full-term children were tested once a year. The assessment included the extended Theory of Mind Scale1 as a measure of perspective-taking abilities and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II2 or the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence III3, respectively.

Results: The data presented below result from interim analyses of the ongoing study. 53 three-year-olds (28 full-term, 25 preterm), 41 four-year-olds (19 full-term, 22 preterm) and 18 five-year-olds (10 full-term, 8 preterm) were recruited. A repeated-measures ANOVA considering children who participated in every measurement revealed a main effect of age (F2,12 = 52.93, p < .001) but no interaction effect between age and birth status. To determine differences between preterm and full-term children within age groups an ANOVA with the between subject factor birth status, perspective-taking abilities as dependent variable and the covariate cognitive development was conducted. This analysis considers all children who took part in at least one measurement. There were no differences concerning perspective-taking abilities between preterm and full-term children at the age of 3, 4 and 5 (all p-values > 0.082).

Conclusion: Increasing age leads to an improvement in perspective-taking abilities in full-term as well as preterm children. Since there were not any group differences depending on birth status, delayed emergence of perspective-taking abilities cannot account for preterm children’s problems in social interactions.

Keywords: prematurity, perspective-taking

References

References

1 Peterson CC, Wellman HM, Slaughter V. (2012). Erweiterte “Theory of Mind”- Skala für 3- bis 11-jährige Kinder (A. Henning, T. Hofer, & G. Aschersleben, Übers.). Saarbrücken: Universitat des Saarlandes (Original erschienen 2012: Extended Theory of Mind Scale)

2 Bayley N. (2008). Bayley Scales of Infant Development Second Edition (2. Korrigierte Auflage, G. Reuner, J. Rosenkranz., J. Pietz & R. Hom, Übers.). Frankfurt am Main: Pearson. (Original erschienen 1993: Bayley Scales of Infant Development)

3 Wechsler D, Petermann F, Lipsius M. (2011). WPPSI-III. Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Third Edition. Frankfurt am Main: Pearson