Robert J Duncan
Biographic Data
| ID | 3655786 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Robert J Duncan |
| GIVEN NAMES | Robert J |
| FAMILY NAME | Duncan |
| SIGNATURE | DUNCAN R J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Purdue University West Lafayette |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6900-0322 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 28 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 26 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 28 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Head Start Plus
The long-term impacts of early childhood education (ECE) programs at scale are smaller than those produced by influential demonstration programs half a century ago. Several factors likely contribute, some of which are in the control of policymakers and the designers of ECE programs (e.g., targeting and quality), and some of which are not (quality of conditions for children not served by ECE programs and children's experiences outside of ECE). Cur…
Synergistic Relations of Teacher and Parent Burnout and Preschooler’s Social-Emotional Competence and Behavioral Self-Regulation
Research Findings: This study investigated the synergistic relationships between teacher burnout and parent burnout on preschoolers’ social-emotional competence (SEC) and behavioral self-regulation (BSR). We hypothesized that higher teacher burnout would be associated with lower social skills and BSR and higher problem behaviors in the spring. We expected that higher parent burnout would relate to poorer child outcomes. Guided by the dual risk fr…
Pathways to Early Academic Achievement
The current study investigated the longitudinal associations between home and classroom environments at age three and academic outcomes at age nine, as well as the mediating role of attention regulation and language skills around school entry. Data came from the first four waves of the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing study. Twenty-two percent of the mothers were White, 52% were African American, 22% were Hispanic, and 3% identified as othe…
Predicting State Testing Proficiency with Preschool Assessments
Many children in the United States fail to meet proficiency benchmarks on mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) tests in elementary school despite those tests being related to future outcomes. Thus, strategies are needed to identify and support children at risk for failing to reach proficiency in mathematics and ELA that consider multiple school readiness domains. The current study tested predictive relations between preschool skills and pr…
Longitudinal associations between parental screen time monitoring, screen time exposure, diet, and body mass index in young U.S. children
Increased child screen exposure is associated with poor dietary and weight outcomes. There is an impetus to understand the processes connecting parental screen behaviors and children’s health. First, we tested the longitudinal associations between parental screen monitoring and screen exposure in children ages 4–6 years. Second, we tested unhealthy diet as a mediator between screen exposure and body mass index (BMI). To understand these longitudi…
Maternal Characteristics and U.S. Prenatal Care
Prenatal care provides an opportunity for the promotion of healthy parent and neonatal outcomes, but there are gaps in understanding the consequences and antecedents of prenatal care experiences during pregnancy. The objective of the current study was to provide insight into the mediational processes of sociodemographic and pregnancy characteristics on neonatal health and postpartum maternal wellbeing outcomes through prenatal care experiences. D…
Differentiation effects in school readiness skills across the transition from preschool to kindergarten
Identifying the Onset and Magnitude of Prediction From Early Cognitive Skills to Adult Socioeconomic Outcomes
The goal of this study was to identify the onset and magnitude of prediction of early cognition to adult socioeconomic outcomes. Specifically, we were interested in examining which cognitive skills measured at 15, 24, 36, and 54 months predict educational attainment and salary at age 26. Data (N = 1364, 52% male) included a diverse sample (76% White; 13% Black; 6% Hispanic; 5% other; 21% had incomes no greater than 200% of the poverty level). Res…
The Factor Structure of Parents' Math-Related Talk and Its Relation to Children's Early Academic Skills
This study, involving 120 children (Mage = 4.25; SD = 0.83; 53% Female, 49% White, 23% multiracial, 16% Black, 9% Asian American, and 3% Latine) and their parents, examined parent talk constructs and their relation to children's early academic skills in 2021. Parents' talk was best represented as a three-factor structure (general, number, and mathematical language), suggesting that mathematical language use is distinct from general and number tal…
The Relations Between Parent–Educator Communication, the Home Environment, and Children’s Outcomes in Preschool
Social–Emotional Competence as a Predictor of Early Numeracy Skills
Research Findings: This study examined the association between preschool children’s social-emotional competence (SEC), defined by their social skills and problem behaviors, and numeracy skills. It also examined if any subdomains of SEC predicted preschool numeracy above and beyond latent social skills or problem behaviors variables. Data came from a state-funded prekindergarten evaluation study (N = 684) and were collected using teacher-reported …
Testing block play as an effective mechanism for promoting early math, executive function, and spatial skills in preschoolers from low-income backgrounds
Parent and child adjustment dual trajectories at the beginning of the Covid‐19 syndemic
Children and their families have been significantly impacted by the unfolding of the COVID‐19 syndemic. We sought to identify (1) groups of families with distinct profiles of joint trajectories of parental anxiety and child emotional distress and (2) protective and risk factors associated with these dual‐trajectory profiles. A sample of 488 parents (65% White; 77% mothers) with 3‐ to 8‐year‐old children ( M Age = 5.04, SD Age = 1.59) was followed…
Early cumulative risk and outcomes in adolescence and adulthood
This study examined the extent to which early cumulative risk predicts a range of behavioral and psychological outcomes (i.e., depression, future orientation, risky behavior, educational attainment, and socioeconomic outcomes) measured at ages 15 and 26 and whether executive function (EF) and/or behavioral regulation mediated and/or moderated these associations. Data for this study came from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Develo…
International comparisons of the home mathematics environment and relations with children's mathematical achievement
BackgroundHome mathematics environment (HME) research has focused on parent-child interactions surrounding numerical activities as measured by the frequency of engaging in such activities. However, HME survey questions have been developed from limited perspectives (e.g., Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27, 2012, 231; Journal of Social Issues, 64, 2008, 95; Early childhood mathematics education research: Learning trajectories for young childre…
Within‐ and between‐person associations among internalizing and externalizing problems during middle childhood
Internalizing and externalizing problems are likely to co‐occur in childhood and are related to concurrent and prospective mental health outcomes. We examined the longitudinal relations among internalizing and externalizing problems during middle childhood utilizing the Random Intercept – Cross Lagged Panel Model. We investigated three research questions: (1) how overall levels of internalizing and externalizing problems are related, (2) whether …
The effects of a high quality state-run preschool program as rated by a Quality Rating and Improvement System on children's school readiness
Examining longitudinal associations between internalizing problems, body mass index, and language during childhood
The current study examines the extent to which associations between internalizing problems, body mass index (BMI), and language skills from early (36 months) to late childhood (fifth grade) are due to relatively stable between-child differences, time-specific correlations, or cross-lagged paths. Data from the NICHD study, Early Child Care and Youth Development ( N = 1,364) were used. Results showed that internalizing problems and language are sig…
Prenatal programming of developmental trajectories for obesity risk and early pubertal timing
The thrifty phenotype and fetal overnutrition hypotheses are two developmental hypotheses that originated from the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) perspective. The DOHaD posits that exposures experienced prenatally and early in life may influence health outcomes through altering form and function of internal organs related to metabolic processes. Obesity risk and early pubertal timing might be influenced by similar mechanisms.…
The Cognitive Benefits of Participating in Structured Sports for Preschoolers
Research Findings: The present study explored connections between participation in structured open-skilled (e.g., soccer, basketball) and closed-skilled sports (e.g., swimming) and executive function (EF) among preschool-aged children. The sample included 197 preschool-aged children (mean age = 4.34 years, female = 48.2%, White = 83.8%). Parents reported on sport participation and children were directly assessed on three EF skills: inhibitory con…
Examining transactional relations between behavioral self-regulation and social-emotional functioning during the transition to kindergarten
The present study examined longitudinal associations between behavioral self-regulation and social-emotional functioning across four waves of measurement during the transition from preschool to kindergarten in a low-income sample. Participants included two cohorts of children (N = 558; 51% male). Children in both cohorts were 4 years old (Cohort 1: M = 4.82 years, SD = .31; Cohort 2: M = 4.80 years, SD = .31). Forty-four percent of children were …
The kindergarten Early Development Instrument predicts third grade academic proficiency
Additive and synergistic relations of early mother–child and caregiver–child interactions for predicting later achievement
This study examines associations between stimulating-responsive social interactions with mothers and nonparental childcare providers during the first 3 years of life and children's vocabulary and mathematics skills through age 15 (N = 1,364). Additive relations were found in which more stimulating-responsive interactions with mothers and with caregivers were linked to higher mathematics achievement in childhood and adolescence. More stimulating-r…
SEL Interventions in Early Childhood
Young children who enter school without sufficient social and emotional learning (SEL) skills may have a hard time learning. Yet early childhood educators say they don't get enough training to effectively help children develop such skills. In this article, Megan McClelland, Shauna Tominey, Sara Schmitt, and Robert Duncan examine the theory and science behind early childhood SEL interventions. Reviewing evaluation results, they find that several i…
Examining the relations between executive function, math, and literacy during the transition to kindergarten
The present study explored the bidirectional and longitudinal associations between executive function (EF) and early academic skills (math and literacy) across 4 waves of measurement during the transition from preschool to kindergarten using 2 complementary analytical approaches: cross-lagged panel modeling and latent growth curve modeling (LCGM). Participants included 424 children (49% female). On average, children were approximately 4.5 years o…
Combining a kindergarten readiness summer program with a self-regulation intervention improves school readiness
Behavioral self-regulation and executive function both predict visuomotor skills and early academic achievement
Additive and synergistic relations of early mother–child and caregiver–child interactions for predicting later achievement
This study examines associations between stimulating-responsive social interactions with mothers and nonparental childcare providers during the first 3 years of life and children's vocabulary and mathematics skills through age 15 (N = 1,364). Additive relations were found in which more stimulating-responsive interactions with mothers and with caregivers were linked to higher mathematics achievement in childhood and adolescence. More stimulating-r…
Early cumulative risk and outcomes in adolescence and adulthood
This study examined the extent to which early cumulative risk predicts a range of behavioral and psychological outcomes (i.e., depression, future orientation, risky behavior, educational attainment, and socioeconomic outcomes) measured at ages 15 and 26 and whether executive function (EF) and/or behavioral regulation mediated and/or moderated these associations. Data for this study came from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Develo…
The effects of a high quality state-run preschool program as rated by a Quality Rating and Improvement System on children's school readiness
The kindergarten Early Development Instrument predicts third grade academic proficiency
Testing block play as an effective mechanism for promoting early math, executive function, and spatial skills in preschoolers from low-income backgrounds
Within‐ and between‐person associations among internalizing and externalizing problems during middle childhood
Internalizing and externalizing problems are likely to co‐occur in childhood and are related to concurrent and prospective mental health outcomes. We examined the longitudinal relations among internalizing and externalizing problems during middle childhood utilizing the Random Intercept – Cross Lagged Panel Model. We investigated three research questions: (1) how overall levels of internalizing and externalizing problems are related, (2) whether …
Examining transactional relations between behavioral self-regulation and social-emotional functioning during the transition to kindergarten
The present study examined longitudinal associations between behavioral self-regulation and social-emotional functioning across four waves of measurement during the transition from preschool to kindergarten in a low-income sample. Participants included two cohorts of children (N = 558; 51% male). Children in both cohorts were 4 years old (Cohort 1: M = 4.82 years, SD = .31; Cohort 2: M = 4.80 years, SD = .31). Forty-four percent of children were …
Predictors of early growth in academic achievement
Children's behavioral self-regulation and executive function (EF; including attentional or cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibitory control) are strong predictors of academic achievement. The present study examined the psychometric properties of a measure of behavioral self-regulation called the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders (HTKS) by assessing construct validity, including relations to EF measures, and predictive validity to academic ac…
Behavioral self-regulation and executive function both predict visuomotor skills and early academic achievement
SEL Interventions in Early Childhood
Young children who enter school without sufficient social and emotional learning (SEL) skills may have a hard time learning. Yet early childhood educators say they don't get enough training to effectively help children develop such skills. In this article, Megan McClelland, Shauna Tominey, Sara Schmitt, and Robert Duncan examine the theory and science behind early childhood SEL interventions. Reviewing evaluation results, they find that several i…
Examining the relations between executive function, math, and literacy during the transition to kindergarten
The present study explored the bidirectional and longitudinal associations between executive function (EF) and early academic skills (math and literacy) across 4 waves of measurement during the transition from preschool to kindergarten using 2 complementary analytical approaches: cross-lagged panel modeling and latent growth curve modeling (LCGM). Participants included 424 children (49% female). On average, children were approximately 4.5 years o…
Combining a kindergarten readiness summer program with a self-regulation intervention improves school readiness
Additive and synergistic relations of early mother–child and caregiver–child interactions for predicting later achievement
This study examines associations between stimulating-responsive social interactions with mothers and nonparental childcare providers during the first 3 years of life and children's vocabulary and mathematics skills through age 15 (N = 1,364). Additive relations were found in which more stimulating-responsive interactions with mothers and with caregivers were linked to higher mathematics achievement in childhood and adolescence. More stimulating-r…
The kindergarten Early Development Instrument predicts third grade academic proficiency
The Cognitive Benefits of Participating in Structured Sports for Preschoolers
Research Findings: The present study explored connections between participation in structured open-skilled (e.g., soccer, basketball) and closed-skilled sports (e.g., swimming) and executive function (EF) among preschool-aged children. The sample included 197 preschool-aged children (mean age = 4.34 years, female = 48.2%, White = 83.8%). Parents reported on sport participation and children were directly assessed on three EF skills: inhibitory con…
Examining transactional relations between behavioral self-regulation and social-emotional functioning during the transition to kindergarten
The present study examined longitudinal associations between behavioral self-regulation and social-emotional functioning across four waves of measurement during the transition from preschool to kindergarten in a low-income sample. Participants included two cohorts of children (N = 558; 51% male). Children in both cohorts were 4 years old (Cohort 1: M = 4.82 years, SD = .31; Cohort 2: M = 4.80 years, SD = .31). Forty-four percent of children were …
Within‐ and between‐person associations among internalizing and externalizing problems during middle childhood
Internalizing and externalizing problems are likely to co‐occur in childhood and are related to concurrent and prospective mental health outcomes. We examined the longitudinal relations among internalizing and externalizing problems during middle childhood utilizing the Random Intercept – Cross Lagged Panel Model. We investigated three research questions: (1) how overall levels of internalizing and externalizing problems are related, (2) whether …
The effects of a high quality state-run preschool program as rated by a Quality Rating and Improvement System on children's school readiness
Examining longitudinal associations between internalizing problems, body mass index, and language during childhood
The current study examines the extent to which associations between internalizing problems, body mass index (BMI), and language skills from early (36 months) to late childhood (fifth grade) are due to relatively stable between-child differences, time-specific correlations, or cross-lagged paths. Data from the NICHD study, Early Child Care and Youth Development ( N = 1,364) were used. Results showed that internalizing problems and language are sig…
Prenatal programming of developmental trajectories for obesity risk and early pubertal timing
The thrifty phenotype and fetal overnutrition hypotheses are two developmental hypotheses that originated from the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) perspective. The DOHaD posits that exposures experienced prenatally and early in life may influence health outcomes through altering form and function of internal organs related to metabolic processes. Obesity risk and early pubertal timing might be influenced by similar mechanisms.…
Parent and child adjustment dual trajectories at the beginning of the Covid‐19 syndemic
Children and their families have been significantly impacted by the unfolding of the COVID‐19 syndemic. We sought to identify (1) groups of families with distinct profiles of joint trajectories of parental anxiety and child emotional distress and (2) protective and risk factors associated with these dual‐trajectory profiles. A sample of 488 parents (65% White; 77% mothers) with 3‐ to 8‐year‐old children ( M Age = 5.04, SD Age = 1.59) was followed…
Early cumulative risk and outcomes in adolescence and adulthood
This study examined the extent to which early cumulative risk predicts a range of behavioral and psychological outcomes (i.e., depression, future orientation, risky behavior, educational attainment, and socioeconomic outcomes) measured at ages 15 and 26 and whether executive function (EF) and/or behavioral regulation mediated and/or moderated these associations. Data for this study came from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Develo…
International comparisons of the home mathematics environment and relations with children's mathematical achievement
BackgroundHome mathematics environment (HME) research has focused on parent-child interactions surrounding numerical activities as measured by the frequency of engaging in such activities. However, HME survey questions have been developed from limited perspectives (e.g., Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27, 2012, 231; Journal of Social Issues, 64, 2008, 95; Early childhood mathematics education research: Learning trajectories for young childre…
The Relations Between Parent–Educator Communication, the Home Environment, and Children’s Outcomes in Preschool
Social–Emotional Competence as a Predictor of Early Numeracy Skills
Research Findings: This study examined the association between preschool children’s social-emotional competence (SEC), defined by their social skills and problem behaviors, and numeracy skills. It also examined if any subdomains of SEC predicted preschool numeracy above and beyond latent social skills or problem behaviors variables. Data came from a state-funded prekindergarten evaluation study (N = 684) and were collected using teacher-reported …
Testing block play as an effective mechanism for promoting early math, executive function, and spatial skills in preschoolers from low-income backgrounds
Longitudinal associations between parental screen time monitoring, screen time exposure, diet, and body mass index in young U.S. children
Increased child screen exposure is associated with poor dietary and weight outcomes. There is an impetus to understand the processes connecting parental screen behaviors and children’s health. First, we tested the longitudinal associations between parental screen monitoring and screen exposure in children ages 4–6 years. Second, we tested unhealthy diet as a mediator between screen exposure and body mass index (BMI). To understand these longitudi…
Maternal Characteristics and U.S. Prenatal Care
Prenatal care provides an opportunity for the promotion of healthy parent and neonatal outcomes, but there are gaps in understanding the consequences and antecedents of prenatal care experiences during pregnancy. The objective of the current study was to provide insight into the mediational processes of sociodemographic and pregnancy characteristics on neonatal health and postpartum maternal wellbeing outcomes through prenatal care experiences. D…
Differentiation effects in school readiness skills across the transition from preschool to kindergarten
Identifying the Onset and Magnitude of Prediction From Early Cognitive Skills to Adult Socioeconomic Outcomes
The goal of this study was to identify the onset and magnitude of prediction of early cognition to adult socioeconomic outcomes. Specifically, we were interested in examining which cognitive skills measured at 15, 24, 36, and 54 months predict educational attainment and salary at age 26. Data (N = 1364, 52% male) included a diverse sample (76% White; 13% Black; 6% Hispanic; 5% other; 21% had incomes no greater than 200% of the poverty level). Res…
The Factor Structure of Parents' Math-Related Talk and Its Relation to Children's Early Academic Skills
This study, involving 120 children (Mage = 4.25; SD = 0.83; 53% Female, 49% White, 23% multiracial, 16% Black, 9% Asian American, and 3% Latine) and their parents, examined parent talk constructs and their relation to children's early academic skills in 2021. Parents' talk was best represented as a three-factor structure (general, number, and mathematical language), suggesting that mathematical language use is distinct from general and number tal…
Head Start Plus
The long-term impacts of early childhood education (ECE) programs at scale are smaller than those produced by influential demonstration programs half a century ago. Several factors likely contribute, some of which are in the control of policymakers and the designers of ECE programs (e.g., targeting and quality), and some of which are not (quality of conditions for children not served by ECE programs and children's experiences outside of ECE). Cur…
Psychology (22 works) · Developmental psychology (20 works) · Early Childhood Education and Development (16 works) · Cognition (10 works) · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development (8 works) · Educational and Psychological Assessments (8 works) · Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills (7 works) · Medicine (7 works) · Literacy (6 works) · Pedagogy (6 works)