Development of child autonomy in eating and toilet training: One- to three-year-old Japanese and French children

This study analyses the interface between children's culture and their development as they learn to perform the daily activities of eating and toileting in culturally appropriate ways. Thirty-three Japanese and 36 French children 12-31 months of age and adults' interventions were observed in public day care centres in Tokyo and in Paris. Within the same time frame, a survey was conducted among the adults (parents and nursery staff) to examine their developmental expectations for children. Observations reveal differences between children's learning in the two countries. Toilet training begins at a later age in Japan and is learned more quickly, whereas learning to eat alone begins earlier than in France but is acquired at a slower pace. The analysis of the surveys shows some discrepancy between adults' conceptions and actual interactions. In both countries, the developmental decrease in physical intervention corresponded with the progress of the child, but adult interventions and strategies varied according to the different cultures. The presence of Japanese adults is greater than those in France, but this does not mean that they intervene physically more often. Finally, instrumental independence begins slightly earlier in Japan.     

Comparison of behaviors of suspected sexually abused and nonsexually abused preschool children using anatomical dolls

Using anatomical dolls, the play behaviors of nine sexually abused preschool children (five males, four females), ranging in age from 3 to 5 years, were compared with nine preschool children for whom there was no suspicion of sexual abuse and who were matched on the basis of age, gender, race, family status, and socioeconomic status. There was no significant difference between the two groups on explicit sexual behavior (vaginal, oral, and anal intercourse with thrusting motions between the dolls or between the child and the dolls and masturbation by the child). The groups were significantly [t(8)=2.19, p <.05; Wilcoxon W=6, p <.05) different when behaviors with suspicious sexual implication were combined with explicit sexual behaviors. There were no differences between the groups on measures of nonsexual behavior. The occurrence of the suspicious sexual behaviors is discussed and reviews of previous doll research and physical evidence of child sexual abuse are provided.This project was supported in part by a grant from The Graduate College of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan.     

Effects of day care and maternal teaching on child educability

Two groups of matched mother-child pairs, a day care sample (N = 38) and a home reared sample (N = 38) participated in a study testing mothers for degree of decentred teaching and children for degree of decentred educability. The children were seven years old. Mother and child were tested in separate settings, thus preventing interdependency among scores. The study used a matched-pair design with control of five background variables; age of the child, mother's educational level, mother's occupational status, family SES level, and type of family. The results showed strong positive effects of both day care experience and maternal teaching on child educability. Day care experience improved the educability of children independent of the mother's teaching strategy and gender of the child.     

HOME SAFETY: DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF ONE COMPONENT OF AN ECOBEHAVIORAL TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN

Parents may be charged with child abuse or neglect or both on the basis of a variety of circumstances. Child neglect, for example, is often documented when caseworkers observe that the family's home itself is so poorly kept that it presents an environment in which young children have ready access to lethal hazards such as poisons, uncovered wall outlets, and firearms. In this study, we describe the development of a Home Accident Prevention Inventory (HAPI) which was validated and used to assess hazards in the homes of several families under state protective service for child abuse and neglect. The HAPI included five categories of hazards: fire and electrical, mechanical-suffocation, ingested object suffocation, firearms, and solid/liquid poisons. Following the collection of baseline data, parents were presented with a treatment package that included instructions and demonstrations on making hazards inaccessible to children, plus feedback regarding the number and location of hazards in the home. The multiple-baseline design across hazardous categories in each family's home showed that the package resulted in decreases in the number of these accessible hazards. These improvements were maintained over an extended period of unannounced follow-up checks. This research provides a model for the development and assessment of an area previously unexamined in the child abuse and neglect literature.     

EFFECTS OF CHILD BEHAVIOR CHANGE ON TEACHER VERBAL BEHAVIOR AND RATING OF STUDENT BEHAVIOR1

The relationship between student behavior change and its effect on teacher behavior was investigated. A total of six boys and their two male teachers from two fourth-grade classrooms served as subjects. In two multiple-baseline experiments, students were exposed successively to baseline, placebo-therapy (a control for teacher expectation of student change), active-therapy (contingencies for student behavior improvement), and a return to placebo-therapy phases. As student behavior (the independent variable) improved, daily teacher ratings of children improved moderately, and the percentage of teacher vocalizations in response to appropriate (as compared with inappropriate) child behavior increased markedly. The latter shift in the distribution of teacher vocalizations was found to be largely attributable to the increased availability of appropriate behavior to which teachers could respond. This study raises questions about similar findings in an earlier experiment by Sherman and Cormier (Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1974, 7 , 11–21). First, the main measure of teacher verbal behavior in both this and the earlier study was considered to be insufficient as a measure of teacher change. It did not control for the expected effects of changes in the base rate of student appropriate behavior. Second, student behavior improvement did not appear to reinforce teacher behavior. This was attributed to the noncontingency of student improvement on any class of teacher behaviors. The possible reinforcing value of student behavior improvement for teachers was not challenged. Implications of rating changes were also discussed.     

Natural rates of teacher approval and disapproval in grade-7 classrooms

The natural rates of teacher verbal approval and disapproval in ten grade-seven classrooms were determined and compared with those described by White (1975). Although there were differences in the observation techniques used and the behavioral, cultural, and ethnic groups sampled, the results were similar. The majority of the teachers displayed individual rates of disapproval that were higher than their individual approval rates. The correlations between levels of on-task behavior and approval and disapproval rates were low. The issues raised by these findings are discussed in terms of directions for further research.     

OPERANT CONTROL OF PATHOLOGICAL TONGUE THRUST IN SPASTIC CEREBRAL PALSY

Pathological tongue thrust (reverse swallowing) has been associated with neuromuscular disorders and linked to dental malocclusion, articulation problems, difficulty in eating, and excessive drooling. In this study, observable tongue thrust in a 10-year-old retarded male was modified during mealtime using a procedure consisting of differential reinforcement (presentation of food contingent upon tongue in) and punishment (gently pushing the tongue back into the mouth with a spoon). Results of a reversal design showed substantial decreases in tongue thrust and food expulsion, and a large increase in observed chewing. These data compared favorably with data obtained for other retarded persons not judged to be tongue thrusters; in addition, the objective results of the treatment program were substantiated via pre-post evaluations done by occupational and physical therapists. These findings suggest that operant techniques may be an effective means of treating tongue thrust and its associated problems, and that further development and evaluation of behavioral interventions may provide a desirable alternative to more intrusive surgical or mechanical procedures.     

家长对子女人格特点的自由描述──中国儿童样本对“大五”人格结构的验证

运用与荷兰、美国等国的跨文化研究组相同的访谈和编码方法,对我国北京和福州两个城市共４１０位的３至１２岁儿童的家长进行了访谈,目的是从自然语言途径,探讨我国儿童的人格特点,并将结果与国外同样研究进行跨文化比较。结果表明：本样本儿童的人格特点可以运用成人“五因素模型”进行解释。并且,中国家长提供的自由描述完全可以纳入美国和荷兰研究组设计的“１４概念”编码系统。与其他国家的结果相比．中国家长对于“谨慎性”概念的重视程度远高于美国、荷兰和比利时儿童的家长,表现出显著的文化差异。此外,中国家长对于孩子“智力”问题的注意多于西方国家的家长,但对孩子在“宜人性”概念上的描述则最少。     

Marital discord and psychiatric disorder in children and adolescents

The relationship between marital discord and any DISC-2.1/DSM-III-R child psychiatric diagnosis was explored. Interview data from a community sample of 90 parent/child pairs and a clinic sample of 37 parent/child pairs were analysed. The data were collected at Columbia University/the New York State Psychiatric Institute as part of the pilot project of a multi-site methodological study. Rates of marital discord and DISC diagnoses were found higher in the clinic sample than in the community sample. The association between marital discord and any diagnosis remained significant when other risk and protective factors were controlled. Policy implications and recommendations for future research strategies suggested by the current exploratory study were discussed.     

A North American perspective on the psychological maltreatment of children

Psychological maltreatment may be the most common form of abuse suffered by North American children within the family environment. However, little effort has been directed towards eliminating and preventing it. The present article emphasizes the importance of thoroughly understanding the phenomenon so that effective intervention strategies can be developed. North American research studies of child maltreatment are reviewed and discussed with particular emphasis placed upon the manifestations of psychological maltreatment, the scope and the consequences of the problem, and the identification of associated risk factors. The paper identifies several areas for improvement before successful interventions can be conceptualized.