The role of infant attention and parental sensitivity in infant cognitive development in the Netherlands and China

•Both infant attention at 4 months and maternal sensitivity at 14 months were associated with infant working memory and inhibition at 14 months.•Contributions of precursors (4-month infant attention, maternal and paternal sensitivity) of early cognitive abilities were similar across the Netherlands and China.•The predictive effect of maternal sensitivity on infant working memory was stronger than that of paternal sensitivity which was nonsignificant.•The predictive effect of maternal sensitivity on infant was inhibition significant, whereas the effect of paternal sensitivity was not.