Preschool Boys’ Development of Emotional Self-Regulation Strategies in a Sample At Risk for Behavior Problems

Little longitudinal research has been conducted on changes in children's emotional self-regulation strategy (SRS) use after infancy, particularly for children at risk. In this study, the authors examined changes in boys’ emotional SRS from toddlerhood through preschool. Repeated observational assessments using delay of gratification tasks at ages 2, 3, and 4 years were examined with both variable- and person-oriented analyses in a low-income sample of boys (N = 117) at risk for early problem behavior. Results were consistent with theory on emotional SRS development in young children. Children initially used more emotion-focused SRS (e.g., comfort seeking) and transitioned to greater use of planful SRS (e.g., distraction) by 4 years of age. Person-oriented analysis using trajectory analysis found similar patterns from 2 to 4 years, with small groups of boys showing delayed movement away from emotion-focused strategies or delay in the onset of regular use of distraction. The results provide a foundation for future researchers to examine the development of SRS in low-income young children.     

Self-regulation in early childhood: the interplay between family risk,temperament and teacher–child interactions

Abstract

This study investigates the interplay between family risk and the quality of classroom interactions and their impact on self-regulation skills in two groups of children—children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds (at-risk) and non-risk children. Participants included 485 children (N = 93 classrooms)—233 (N = 47 classrooms) of which were from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Temperament was measured using teacher report. Trained observers rated classroom quality via live observations of a typical preschool day. Behavioral regulation was assessed using direct measures and emotional regulation was assessed using a teacher report. Analyses using multiple group structural equation modeling showed that at-risk children had lower levels of cool behavior regulation than non-risk children. In addition, classroom quality was positively linked to cool behavioral self-regulation. Moderating effects were additionally found between family risk and classroom quality on both hot behavioral regulation and emotional regulation. Classroom quality served as a protective factor for children exposed to more risk factors. Results showed complex associations between individual characteristics, classroom quality, and family risk, indicating a need to further explore the interplay among these variables.     

Are twins different from singletons during early childhood?

This paper examines the specificity of intrafamilial experiences to which twins are exposed during early childhood, and the impact of this family context on the psychological development of twins. An overview of the literature on the psychological development of twins indicates two broad categories of findings. The first category covers studies dealing with the developmental features that appear early in twins. Although there are numerous studies comparing the psychomotor and verbal development of twins to singletons, only a few have dealt with the emergence of personality and identity, and most have been conducted in clinical settings. The second set of studies deals with mother-twin relations, explored in recent years in terms of the psychosocial stress created by twin births. Few studies have examined the mother-twin relationship in the light of major theories on mother-child bonding (psychoanalysis, attachment, interactionist model). These developmental models have mainly focused on mother-infant dyads, while the construction of this specific mother-twin relationship needs to be set within the framework of a triadic situation. Rather than describing a specific ‘twin mentality’, it is argued here that the twin situation should be seen as a special case of adaptative development, both for the mother and the child, which has effects on the formation of the individual.     

Individual differences in preschool children: temperament or personality?

Individual differences among adults have generally been conceptualized in terms of personality theory and traits. In contrast, individual differences among very young children (birth to kindergarten) have generally been conceptualized in terms of temperament theory and traits. The present study compares and contrasts measures of temperament and personality in a sample of preschool children. Temperament traits were assessed with a well‐established measure (the Rothbart CBQ), and a new preschool rating instrument was used to assess personality traits from the five‐factor framework (M5‐PS). Indeed, a key purpose of this study was to further the development of the M5‐PS. Data were gathered on 122 preschool children who were rated by their teachers. Significant correlations were found between the temperament trait Surgency and the personality trait Extraversion, between the temperament trait Negative Affect and the personality trait Neuroticism, and between the temperament trait Effortful Control and the personality trait Conscientiousness. The overall pattern of correlational data suggests that individual differences in preschool children can be adequately described using the five‐factor theory, and that this framework may effectively subsume traditional theories of temperament. Preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the M5‐PS is offered. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Longitudinal Impact of Toddlers' Exposure to Domestic Violence

This study assessed how exposure to domestic violence (DV) during early childhood and increases in exposure over time influenced toddlers' behavior and peer problems, physical health, and cognitive abilities in middle childhood. Data from three waves of the survey component of “Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three-City Study” were assessed. Thirty-five percent of the 2- to 4-year-olds had mothers who reported DV victimization; 16% reported an increase in DV victimization over 2 years. Opposing past literature, none of the middle childhood outcomes were significantly influenced by early DV exposure. However, increases in mother's DV victimization from 1999 to 2001 significantly increased children's internalizing and externalizing problems and marginally decreased their school engagement in middle childhood in 2005.     

Young children and spirituality: understanding children’s connectedness in a group music class

In a fast-paced materialistic world, it is important to create opportunities for spirituality in early childhood music education, a developmental element often neglected in the scholarly literature. The purpose of the present hermeneutic phenomenological study is to understand the meanings that children ascribe to their experiences of connectedness in a group music class for 15 children, aged 4–5 years, at a nursery school in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Data were collected by means of interviews, close observations, diaries and drawings. In a qualitative data analysis, the following themes emerged regarding the children’s experiences in the music class: Music is the best; My body dances; Music takes me places; We can play together; You and me; I feel better and You can have mine. Music group classes in early childhood education could be useful in creating opportunities for spiritual experiences, promoting connectedness and consequently fostering children’s spiritual well-being.     

Mechanisms by Which Childhood Personality Traits Influence Adult Well-Being

ABSTRACT— Children's personality traits have enduring effects that shape adult well-being. In particular, childhood conscientiousness influences core aspects of adult well-being: health, friendships, and mastery. Research is now examining the mechanisms by which early personality traits initiate and sustain particular life paths. These include mediating and moderating mechanisms that may operate during critical developmental periods or may build cumulatively over time. Future research would benefit from testing theoretically derived mechanisms for different traits and examining variables as they change over time, using both short- and long-term longitudinal designs over different life stages.     

Tablet Use in Young Children is Associated with Advanced Fine Motor Skills

Abstract

To evaluate whether frequent interactive tablet-use at preschool age is associated with improved fine motor skills and to describe tablet-use in young children. Cross-sectional study with 78 children, aged 24–42?months: group 1 with previous frequent tablet-use exposure (n?=?26), group 2 without previous tablet-use exposure (n?=?52). Fine motor skills were evaluated with the Bayley-III. Socioeconomic data and home environment quality were similar in both groups. Fine motor skills of group 1 were better than those of group 2 (p?=?0.013). Most participating children carried out passive and active tablet activities, usually accompanied by parents, not exceeding time recommendations for young age. We observed a difference in fine motor skills in young children slightly favoring those with tablet-use experience.     

BRIEF-P: analysis of executive functions according to informant / BRIEF-P: análisis de las funciones ejecutivas en función del informante

Abstract

Children progressively become more independent in their ability to control their own thoughts, actions and behaviour. This change can be associated with and linked to the development of executive functions, which are observed and contrasted by parents and teachers. The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions that both parents and teachers have of the development of executive functions in children of different ages. Participants of the study included parents (N = 1,077), teachers (N = 902) and evaluated children (N = 1,979), whose ages ranged from two years to five years and 11 months. We applied the BRIEF-P test. Results showed that when comparing parents’ and teachers’ scores, there were statistically significant differences for all the clinical scales and indices. These data confirm that teachers are more sensitive to the development of executive functions than parents. We conclude that the BRIEF-P is an instrument that is sensitive to the development of executive functions and also to the informant interacting with the child.     

The Semantics of Secrecy: Young Children's Classification of Secret Content

The authors explored whether young children can distinguish potential secrets from nonsecrets by their content, as can older children, adolescents, and adults. Ninety children, 4, 5, and 6 years old, rated the secrecy of items from an adult-validated list of personal information about an age- and gender-appropriate puppet. Two factors of the children's data corresponded to the adult categories of nonsecrets and secrets, and a third factor corresponded to surprises. All ages rated surprises as significantly more secret than nonsecret items; however, the surprise items contained linguistic cues to secrecy. A tendency to rate nonsecrets as secret decreased with age, but only the 6-year-olds rated secrets other than surprises as significantly more secret than nonsecrets. Thus, children acquire the implicit rules defining secret content from a somewhat later age than that reported for the cognitive or behavioral capacities for secrecy.     

早期高级认知发展与前额叶功能发育的fNIRS研究

儿童早期阶段是各项认知能力和脑发育的关键阶段。近红外光谱成像技术(fNIRS)凭借其非侵害性、便捷操作以及对头动容忍度高等特点,在早期阶段儿童认知发展与脑发育的研究中得到越来越多的应用。从早期高级认知发展与前额叶功能的单侧优势变化、对应前额叶脑区逐渐专门化、发展关键期与前额叶功能的可塑性,以及前额叶功能异常与早期发展障碍的关系等四个方面对基于fNIRS技术开展的早期认知发展与脑发育的研究进展进行了梳理和分析。指出未来研究应探究儿童早期认知能力发展和脑发育的轨迹及关键期,探讨有发展性障碍家族风险儿童的早期大脑发育特点,为早期教育和发展障碍的早期预警提供依据。