Effects of Environmental Measures on Intelligence in Young Children: Growth Curve Modeling of Longitudinal Data

Effects of different environmental measures on individual intellectual growth patterns were examined in 105 young children participating in a longitudinal study. Intelligence (Stanford-Binet, 4th edition) was measured at ages 3 through 6 years, and child's environment (HOME and SES) was assessed at age 3 years. Growth curve analyses revealed that HOME scores exerted a constant influence on the expected composite, verbal, and nonverbal intellectual skills at each age. Only SES influenced the rate of growth, specifically nonverbal intellectual skills. The magnitudes of these effects were moderate, but consistent, regardless of whether age-standardized or subscale raw scores were analyzed. These findings confirm that HOME and SES scores are more than just different types of measures of the child's environment.