Digital Commons Network^™

Functional Analysis Of Excessive Crying In Infancy: Two Empirical Case Studies, Jamie L. Hirsh

Dissertations

Excessive crying and infantile colic account for a significant percentage of caregivers’ calls and visits to the pediatrician early in infancy. Despite myriad research studies across medical and psychological disciplines over the years, there is no conclusive evidence regarding a cause for excessive crying in early infancy; as a result, there is no gold standard for treatment. The goal of this study is to develop and test an experimental functional analysis methodology to determine a cause for excessive crying in infants. The study involves the development of an interview and paper-based functional assessment tool for excessive crying in infancy, as …

Toward An Objective Measure Of Moral Development For Children, Ruth S. Smith

Dissertations

Problem. Research on moral development in school-age children has been hampered by the lack of measurement tools based on a comprehensive model that includes moral cognition, moral emotions, and moral behavior. This study presents the first step toward the development of an objective measure of moral development for children in grades 3-6.

Method. One-hundred-twenty-one items covering different theorized determinates of moral development were administered to 187 children enrolled in grades 3-6. Either cluster or factor analysis was applied to determine the scales. Reliability was appraised by item analysis and validity was assessed by: (1) parent, teacher, and self ratings of …

Relationship Between Child Temperament, Parental Knowledge Of Child Development, And Parental Stress, Nancy J. Carbonell

Dissertations

Problem. Despite current awareness that temperament of children has been related to parental frustration and lack of child developmental knowledge has led to unrealistic expectations and parental stress, definitive information is needed regarding the relationship between (1) child temperament, (2) parental knowledge of child development, and (3) parental stress.

Method. One hundred and forty mothers with 3-year-old children were studied using the Thomas and Chess' Parent Questionnaire to measure parental perception of child temperament, the Knowledge of Child Development Inventory (Larsen & Juhasz) to assess maternal knowledge of child development, and Abidin's Parenting Stress Index to measure maternal stress. Demographic …