Early Perspective Taking predicts later Cognitive Flexibility: A
longitudinal study
Abstract
Perspective taking and cognitive flexibility are important abilities for
navigating our everyday lives. In this longitudinal study with 108
children (61 girls, mostly White), we investigated the developmental
relation between Level 1 perspective taking at 27 months of age and
Level 2 perspective taking at 52 months of age as well as relations to
cognitive flexibility at 52 months of age. We found that early
perspective taking was significantly related to later, more complex
perspective taking abilities as well as to cognitive flexibility. This
highlights the importance of early perspective taking abilities for
later perspective understanding and flexible cognition.