Developmental Psychology Commons^™

Relative To Einstein: Quality Of Life In Twice Exceptional Adults, Rk Wall-Polin

Student Research Posters

Twice exceptionality, or 2e, is the recently-coined term for the intersection of learning disabilities (LDs) and giftedness in an individual. Typically, these learning disabilities encompass ADHD, ASD, and/or specific learning disorders such as dyslexia. Because giftedness may obscure or compensate for a student’s academic struggles, and because institutional fixation on disability may overshadow intelligence, twice exceptionality is often missed by teachers and other authority figures in a child’s life. Given the ongoing difficulties of screening for twice exceptionality, it is likely that many 2e students have gone unidentified throughout most of their academic careers, without receiving the accommodations that would …

The Role Of Child Temperament On Low‐Income Preschool Children’S Relationships With Their Parents And Teachers, Ibrahim H. Acar, Julia C. Torquati, Amy J. Encinger, Amy Colgrove

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The current study examined the associations between low‐income preschool children’s temperament (reactive and regulatory) and their relationships with parents and teachers. In particular, we focused on the moderating role of regulatory temperament on reactive temperament in the prediction of closeness and conflict with parents and teachers. Two hundred ninety‐one children (M = 53.88 months, SD = 6.44 months), their parents, and teachers from 3 different preschools serving low‐income children in 2 midwestern cities in the United States participated. Parents reported on temperament and parent–child relationships, and teachers reported on teacher–child relationships. Hierarchical regression models using SAS PROCMIXED were employed to …

Teaching For Tomorrow: An Exploratory Study Of Prekindergarten Teachers’ Underlying Assumptions About How Children Learn, Erin E. Flynn, Rachel E. Schachter

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This study investigated eight prekindergarten teachers’ underlying assumptions about how children learn, and how these assumptions were used to inform and enact instruction. By contextualizing teachers’ knowledge and understanding as it is used in practice we were able to provide unique insight into the work of teaching. Participants focused on children’s ability to remember information, frequently through engagement and repetition. Teachers also anticipated what children would be learning in the early elementary years and taught that content, yet they did not necessarily expect children to remember the information, or even know if children learned the information. Implications for the design …

Implementing The Academy Of Nutrition And Dietetics Benchmarks For Nutrition Education For Children: Child-Care Providers’ Perspectives, Dipti A. Dev, Virginia Carraway-Stage, Daniel J. Schober, Brent A. Mcbride, Car Mun Kok, Samantha Ramsay

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Background — National childhood obesity prevention policies recommend that childcare providers educate young children about nutrition to improve their nutrition knowledge and eating habits. Yet, the provision of nutrition education (NE) to children in child-care settings is limited.

Objective — Using the 2011 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics benchmarks for NE in child care as a guiding framework, researchers assessed child-care providers’ perspectives regarding delivery of NE through books, posters, mealtime conversations, handson learning, and sensory exploration of foods to young children (aged 2 to 5 years).

Design — Using a qualitative design (realist method), individual, semistructured interviews were conducted …

Classroom Readiness For Successful Inclusion: Teacher Factors And Preschool Children’S Experience With And Attitudes Toward Peers With Disabilities, Kyong-Ah Kwon, Soo-Young Hong, Hyun-Joo Jeon

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The current study examined (1) associations among teachers’ experiences regarding children with disabilities (i.e., education, specialized training, years of work experience), their attitudes toward disabilities, and their classroom practices in relation to inclusion and (2) associations among children’s attitudes toward peers with disabilities and child and teacher factors. Ninety-one 4- and 5-year-old children participated in an interview, and their teachers completed a survey. Teachers’ specialized training and bachelor’s degree in early childhood education (ECE) were positively associated with their inclusive practices in the classroom; teachers’ bachelor’s degree in ECE and experiences working with children with disabilities were positively associated with …

“I Have A Hippopotamus!”: Preparing Effective Early Childhood Environmental Educators, Julia C. Torquati, Jennifer Leeper Miller, Erin Hamel, Soo-Young Hong, Susan Sarver, Michelle Rupiper

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This article describes an early childhood teacher-preparation program that infuses environmental education and nature experiences into courses, practicum, and student-teaching experiences. Program philosophy, pedagogy, materials, and methods are described and linked to the Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence, the Guidelines for the Preparation and Professional Development of Environmental Educators, and state-level early learning guidelines that focus on connecting young children with nature. Preservice teachers build knowledge, skills, and dispositions for effective environmental education beginning from an awareness level and progressing to application and refinement. The value of nature is communicated explicitly and implicitly throughout the program. Preliminary …

Patterns Of Psychotropic Medication At Admission For Youth In Residential Care, Jonathan C. Huefner, Gail L. Smith, Jay L. Ringle, Amy L. Stevens, W. Alex Mason, Gilbert R. Parra

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

High levels of psychotropic medication use and polypharmacy are common for emotionally and behaviorally troubled youth entering residential care. Polypharmacy has often been characterized as an especially serious problem in this vulnerable population. Latent Class Analysis was used to identify medication subgroups for 636 youth in an intensive residential program. Additionally, auxiliary analyses (e.g., diagnoses, demographics, expressed problem behaviors) were used to identify the personal and behavioral attributes associated with individuals in each of the latent classes. Three distinct medication patterns emerged: low/no psychotropic medication, the combination of antidepressant and antipsychotic medications, and multiple psychotropic medications. The latent classes were …

Attentional Demands Of Executive Function Tasks In Indoor And Outdoor Settings: Behavioral And Neuroelectrical Evidence, Julia C. Torquati, Anne R. Schutte, John Kiat

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This study explored the influence of green environments on children’s cognitive functions by using an experimental, within-subjects design to compare children’s neural responses as they engaged in assessments of attention, inhibitory control, and spatial working memory in two different environments: a natural outdoor area and an indoor laboratory room. Ten children ages 6 to 11 years (M= 9.3; SD= 1.5) participated. Children performed significantly better on the spatial working memory task outdoors compared to indoors. There were no significant differences in attention or inhibitory control, but two markers of neurological activity were significantly larger indoors than outdoors, suggesting that more …

Adolescent Perceptions Of Dating Violence: A Qualitative Study, Sarah Taylor, Carrie A. Calkins, Yan Ruth Xia, Rochelle L. Dalla

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Scholars have identified dating violence as a public health issue among adolescents. Yet, minimal research has detailed adolescents’ perceptions of dating violence, specifically gender differences in perceptions. Research suggests that in order for dating violence prevention and intervention to be effective, services need to be delivered in a manner that is understood by adolescents. Therefore, this study used a qualitative phenomenology study to investigate adolescents’ perceptions of dating violence, including gender differences in adolescents’ perceptions. Thirty adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19 from a Midwest public high school participated in focus groups. Focus group participants were asked semistructured …

“After Your Honor Is Gone …”: Exploration Of Developmental Trajectories And Life Experiences Of Women Working In Mumbai’S Red-Light Brothel Districts, Rochelle L. Dalla, Lee Kreimer

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This investigation was intended, first, to examine the early life and childhood experiences of adult women working in the red-light districts of Mumbai, India. A corollary to this goal was determination of processes that led to entry into the commercial sex industry (CSI). Second, we sought better understanding of women’s adult relationships with family of origin and key players of the brothel-based sex industry (e.g., peers, clients, brothel-keepers). Finally, we explored exiting options. In other words, to what extent is it possible to leave India’s brothel-based sex industry if one wanted to do so? Guided by the life-course theory of …

“We Are Two Of The Lucky Ones”: Experiences With Marriage And Wellbeing For Same-Sex Couples, Heather R. Kennedy, Rochelle L. Dalla, Steven Dreesman

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Happy marriages provide protective health benefits, and social support is a key factor in this association. However, previous research indicates one of the greatest differences between same-and different-sex couples is less social support for same-sex couples. Our goal was to examine the extent to which formal markers of couple status (e.g., marriage) impact wellbeing among same-sex married partners. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 218 primarily White gay and lesbian individuals in the Midwest. Quantitative analysis revealed individuals in a prior formal union with a different-sex partner reported the lowest levels of sexuality specific social support and acceptance. …

Bridging The Gap Between Data And Instruction To Promote School Readiness, Lucki M. Ratsavong, Maureen J. Myrtil, Mihaiela R. Guglu, Rachel E. Schachter

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

States are increasingly endorsing collecting data in the early childhood classroom to measure instructional quality, as well as to enhance classroom- and school-based improvement efforts (Meisels, 2006; National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2009). While an increase in available data has the potential to inform decisions in the classroom, many educators report a need for clearer guidance in analyzing, interpreting, and using the data they collect (Sandall, Schwartz, & Lacroix, 2004; U.S. Department of Education, 2009). Thus, efforts must be made to improve resources and training to provide early childhood educators the opportunity to build their capacity for …

‘Why I Sent My Child Away’: Culturally Structured Motivations For Long-Distance Parenting, Deepa Srivastava, Maria Rosario De Guzman

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Although long-distance parenting is often depicted as a response to crisis (e.g., economic) or other stressful life events, it is sometimes undertaken in various culturally normative situations. This current study explores the motivations of South Asian Indian immigrant parents for sending their young children to India to live temporarily with their grandparents. This qualitative study involves in-depth interviews with first generation immigrant parents about their experiences and motivations for sending their children to India. Analysis of the data revealed five themes, namely, (a) contextual and daily challenges in caring for their children in the United States, (b) parents’ concern around …

He’S Just Content To Sit: A Qualitative Study Of Mothers’ Perceptions Of Infant Obesity And Physical Activity, Danae Dinkel, Kailey Snyder, Anastasia Kyvelidou, Victoria Molfese

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Background: Rates of obesity among children ages zero to five are rapidly increasing. Greater efforts are needed to promote healthy behaviors of young children. Mothers are especially important targets for promoting health as mothers’ views play a vital role in helping their children foster healthy habits from an early age. Research has found parents’ views of infants’ weight may influence their feeding practices; however, limited research has explored mothers’ view of infants’ weight in relation to the promotion of physical activity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of mothers of normal weight infants and overweight …

Examining The Role Of Teacher Presence And Scaffolding In Preschoolers’ Peer Interactions, Ibrahim H. Acar, Soo-Young Hong, Chaorong Wu

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The current study aimed to examine the associations between teacher presence and social scaffolding and preschool children’s peer interactions. Using a time sampling method, peer interactions of 22 four- and five-year-old preschoolers (12 girls; M_age = 52.95 months) and teacher behavior were observed on two different days during various classroom activities in seven public preschool classrooms. Eco-behavioral analyses revealed that (a) teacher presence was negatively associated with positive peer interactions; (b) teacher absence was positively associated with negative peer interactions; (c) positive change of peer interactions was more likely to occur when the teacher was present; (d) children showed …

Let’S Know! Proximal Impacts On Prekindergarten Through Grade 3 Students’ Comprehension- Related Skills, Hui Jiang, Dawn Davis

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Let’s Know! is a language-focused curriculum supplement developed through the Institute of Education Sciences’ Reading for Understanding initiative aimed at supporting prekindergarten through grade 3 students’ listening and reading comprehension. The current study reports results concerning the impacts of 2 instantiations of Let’s Know! on students’ comprehension-related skills (comprehension monitoring; understanding narrative and expository text, as supported by inference making and knowledge of text structure; and vocabulary) as proximal measures of efficacy. Results from the first cohort of a large, field-based, randomized controlled trial (N p 766 students across grades) indicate large, con- sistent, and statistically significant effects on curriculum- …

Contributions Of Television Use To Beliefs About Fathers And Gendered Family Roles Among First-Time Expectant Parents, Patty X. Kuo, L. Monique Ward

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

TV content has been documented to portray a limited range of gender roles, and to frequently depict fathers as incompetent parents. Accordingly, this study explored whether first-time expectant parents’ beliefs about gendered family roles and the importance of fathers to child development were related to their TV use. Participants were 201 individuals (122 women, 79 men) from across the United States expecting their first biological child in a cohabiting heterosexual relationship. Participants completed an online survey assessing weekly TV exposure, exposure to TV programs featuring fathers, perceived realism of TV, use of TV to learn about the world, and beliefs …

Cumulative Contextual Risk At Birth In Relation To Adolescent Substance Use, Conduct Problems, And Risky Sex: General And Specific Predictive Associations In A Finnish Birth Cohort, W. Alex Mason, Stacy-Ann A. January, Mary B. Chmelka, Gilbert R. Parra, Jukka Savolainen, Jouko Miettunen, Marjo-Riitta Järvelin, Anja Taanila, Irma Moilanen

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Background—Research indicates that risk factors cluster in the most vulnerable youth, increasing their susceptibility for adverse developmental outcomes. However, most studies of cumulative risk are cross-sectional or short-term longitudinal, and have been based on data from the United States or the United Kingdom. Using data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 Study (NFBC1986), we examined cumulative contextual risk (CCR) at birth as a predictor of adolescent substance use and co-occurring conduct problems and risky sex to determine the degree to which CCR predicts specific outcomes over-and-above its effect on general problem behavior, while testing for moderation of associations …

No Sweat: African American Adolescent Girls’ Opinions Of Hairstyle Choices And Physical Activity, Susan J. Woolford, Carole Woolford-Hunt, Areej Sami, Natalie Blake, David R. Williams

Faculty Publications

Background

Obesity prevalence is higher among African American adolescent (AAA) girls than among non-black girls. Lower levels of physical activity (PA) likely contribute to this disparity; this may be impacted by hairstyle concerns.

Methods

In 2011, focus groups were conducted with AAA girls 14-17 years old (n = 36) in Michigan (n = 9), California (n = 11), and Georgia (n = 16). Groups addressed perceptions of hairstyles, exercise, and relationships between the two. Groups were recorded, transcripts reviewed, and themes identified. Adolescents completed a standardized ethnic identity (EI) measure and a survey addressing demographics and …

Child And Parent Report Of Parenting As Predictors Of Substance Use And Suspensions From School, Charles B. Fleming, W. Alex Mason, Ronald W. Thompson, Kevin P. Haggerty, Thomas Jai. Gross

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This study examined how child and parent reports of parenting were related to early adolescent substance use and school suspensions. Data were from two time points six months apart on 321 families with an eighth grade student attending one of five schools in the Pacific Northwest. Child- and parent-report measures of family management practices were moderately correlated (r = .29). Child report, but not parent report, of more positive family management practices uniquely predicted a lower likelihood of adolescent substance use. Also, discrepancies between child and parent report of parenting predicted substance use, with child positive report of family …

Exploring The Effects Of Positive Behavioral Supports On Disciplinary Practices In Schools And It's Potential To Mitigate Disproportionality In Disciplinary Outcomes For African American Students, E'Lexus Emily King

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Disproportionality in special education and school discipline in the U.S. Education system has been a crucial and complex issue. Research has shown that evidence-based interventions that lie within the positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) framework has been effective in improving educational outcomes for all students. In this study, the author investigated the impact of the School-Wide Benchmarks of Quality, a PBIS fidelity measure, on student disciplinary outcomes. 380 schools presented four years of disciplinary outcome data. Results showed that the PBIS fidelity measure had a modest effect on the overall student disciplinary outcomes but did not address the disproportionate …

Family Communication Motivating Athletics Over Generations: A Mixed Method Expansion Of Self-Determination Theory, Elizabeth Hanson Smith

Dissertations

Mixed methods were utilized to test the communication within a model of self-determination (Deci & Ryan, 1985) in a multi-generational sports framework in order to argue for an update to self-determination theory (SDT) that includes a communication element. Fourteen qualitative research questions were posed to examine how communication functioned to move tennis players, golfers, and runners from the initial family influence in participating, to integrating family values to the extent that participants modeled athletic values to offspring and community members. Three hypotheses correlating the variables of self-efficacy, autonomy-controlling and autonomy-supportive family communication supported the argument that communication functioned to develop …

Middle Schoolers’ Texting Behaviors: A Look At Individual Differences And Parental Attachment, Bradford Schroeder, Griselda Alavez, Valerie K. Sims

Human Factors and Applied Psychology Student Conference

The present study was conducted to assess individual differences in middle schoolers’ texting behaviors. Individual difference variables of interest were attachment to parents, gender, and age. Participants were recruited from a public middle school in Florida, and received permission from their parents to participate in this study. Once they provided their assent, they completed several self-reports which assessed the frequency and endorsement of texting behaviors, and their attachment to parents. The texting scale that was included for this study is based on a six sub-type texting scale which was normed on multiple groups of college students in Florida and derived …

Individual Variation In Fathers’ Testosterone Reactivity To Infant Distress Predicts Parenting Behaviors With Their 1-Year-Old Infants, Patty X. Kuo, Ekjyot K. Saini, Elizabeth Thomason, Oliver C. Schultheiss, Richard Gonzalez, Brenda L. Volling

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Positive father involvement is associated with positive child outcomes. There is great variation in fathers’ involvement and fathering behaviors, and men’s testosterone (T) has been proposed as a potential biological contributor to paternal involvement. Previous studies investigating testosterone changes in response to father-infant interactions or exposure to infant cues are unclear as to whether individual variation in T is predictive of fathering behavior. We show that individual variation in fathers’ T reactivity to their infants during a challenging laboratory paradigm (Strange Situation) uniquely predicted fathers’ positive parenting behaviors during a subsequent father-infant interaction, in addition to other psychosocial determinants of …

Parent Training To Reduce Problem Behaviors Over The Transition To High School: Tests Of Indirect Effects Through Improved Emotion Regulation Skills, W. Alex Mason, Stacy-Ann A. January, Charles B. Fleming, Ronald W. Thompson, Gilbert R. Parra, Kevin P. Haggerty, James J. Snyder

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Adolescent problem behaviors are costly for individuals and society. Promoting the self-regulatory functioning of youth may help prevent the development of such behaviors. Parent-training and family intervention programs have been shown to improve child and adolescent self-regulation. This study helps fill gaps in knowledge by testing for indirect effects of the Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) program on reduced substance use, conduct problems, and school suspensions through previously identified short-term improvements in parents’ reports of their children’s emotion regulation skills. Over two cohorts, 321 low income families of 8^th graders were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the standard CSP …

The Experiences Of Siblings Of Individuals With Disabilities: A Holistic View, Ashley Mc Adams

Educational Studies Dissertations

The research on siblings of individuals with disabilities has rarely addressed the perceived benefits of having a sibling with a disability. The existing research on the experience of siblings of persons with disabilities is also limited to European American families (Sage & Jegatheesan, 2010). With families from different cultures, I sought to capture the experiences of brothers and sisters who have siblings with disabilities. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationships of siblings with disabilities and typical developing siblings, and present a holistic picture from the perspective of the typical developing siblings. These gaps in the literature …

Prevalence Of Marijuana And Other Substance Use Before And After Washington State’S Change From Legal Medical Marijuana To Legal Medical And Non-Medical Marijuana: Cohort Comparisons In A Sample Of Adolescents, W. Alex Mason, Charles B. Fleming, Jay L. Ringle, Koren Hanson, Thomas J. Gross, Kevin P. Haggerty

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Background—A growing number of states have new legislation extending prior legalization of medical marijuana by allowing non-medical marijuana use for adults. The potential influence of this change in legislation on adolescent marijuana and other substance use (e.g., spillover or substitution effects) is uncertain. We capitalize on an ongoing study to explore the prevalence of marijuana and other substance use in two cohorts of adolescents who experienced the non-medical marijuana law change in Washington State at different ages.

Method—Participants were 8^th graders enrolled in targeted Tacoma, Washington public schools and recruited in two consecutive annual cohorts. The analysis …

Attachment Predicts College Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes, And Skills For Working With Infants, Toddlers, And Families, Claire D. Vallotton, Julia C. Torquati, Jean Ispa, Rachel Chazan-Cohen, Jennifer Henk, Maria Fusaro, Carla A. Peterson, Lori A. Roggman, Ann M. Stacks, Gina Cook, Holly Brophy-Herb

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Research Findings:Adults’ attitudes about attachment relationships are central to how they perceive and respond to children. However, little is known about how attachment styles are related to teachers’ attitudes toward and interactions with infants and toddlers. From a survey of 207 students taking early childhood (EC) courses at 4 U.S. universities, we report relations among students’ attachment styles and their (a) career goals, (b) attitudes about caring for and educating infants and young children, and (c) interaction skills for responding in developmentally supportive ways. Overall, attachment security was positively associated with career goals focused on working with younger children, …

Quality Of Life And Athletic Participation Assessment In Children And Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease, Kayla Stuckey

Honors Program Theses

Just under 1% of infants are born with a heart defect [congenital heart disease (CHD)], and as a result of treatment and early diagnosis, 85% of these children survive into adulthood. Few studies have investigated the quality of life, global happiness, and athletic participation in pediatric populations, especially with respect to those who have CHD. In 2010, the number of people aged 0-18 years who had CHD was estimated to be between 1,905,000 and 2,102,000, and there are varying qualities of life that these children experience based on disease severity. In addition to patients who are born with CHD, children …

Ethnic And Gender Differences In Strategies Used By Adolescents When Attempting To Quit Or Reduce Smoking, Ali M. Yurasek, Leslie A. Robinson, Gilbert R. Parra

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Few adolescent smoking cessation programs have been able to match the success rate found in adult programs. The current study identified smoking cessation strategies used by adolescents and whether strategies differed as a function of ethnic, gender, or individual smoking-level. Participants were 136 high school students who made an attempt to quit or reduce their smoking. Logistic regressions revealed that individuals making an actual quit attempt and African American adolescents used cessation strategies presumed to be more effective. Adolescents are more likely to use informal cessation methods and may need to be provided with more information on effective quit strategies.