The development of bystander intentions and social–moral reasoning about intergroup verbal aggression

A developmental intergroup approach was taken to examine the development of prosocial bystander intentions among children and adolescents. Participants as bystanders (N = 260) aged 8–10 and 13–15 years were presented with scenarios of direct aggression between individuals from different social groups (i.e., intergroup verbal aggression). These situations involved either an ingroup aggressor and an outgroup victim or an outgroup aggressor and an ingroup victim. This study focussed on the role of intergroup factors (group membership, ingroup identification, group norms, and social–moral reasoning) in the development of prosocial bystander intentions. Findings showed that prosocial bystander intentions declined with age. This effect was partially mediated by the ingroup norm to intervene and perceived severity of the verbal aggression. However, a moderated mediation analysis showed that only when the victim was an ingroup member and the aggressor an outgroup member did participants become more likely with age to report prosocial bystander intentions due to increased ingroup identification. Results also showed that younger children focussed on moral concerns and adolescents focussed more on psychological concerns when reasoning about their bystander intention. These novel findings help explain the developmental decline in prosocial bystander intentions from middle childhood into early adolescence when observing direct intergroup aggression.     

Trauma-Informed Care for Infant and Early Childhood Abuse

ABSTRACT

Trauma-informed care for those who experienced early childhood maltreatment is being developed to meet the needs of infant, toddler, and preschool victims of child abuse and neglect. This age group experiences a disproportionate amount of abuse, and the resultant toxic stress during this rapid developmental stage is more damaging than it is in later years. The concept of trauma-informed care in general is presented, followed by a focus on trauma care for early childhood abuse. Trauma-informed care for younger children is united by common principles and is seen as developmental, relational, sensory oriented, and evidence based in nature. Dissemination of knowledge about this unique population to every system that encounters survivors of any age has begun, although it must be broadened and increased. Evidence-based treatment programs for young children are available and effective but limited, especially for age 0–2. Home visiting programs for mothers and babies are effective and cost efficient. Major funding by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to each state has significant potential for success because it targets mother-child attachment and care, as well as the disproportionate amount of damage resulting from early childhood abuse. Infants and preschoolers are in some ways comparable to children with disabilities due to their developmental limitations. The nature of this population requires a more rigorous and proactive awareness and identification process because these children are physically dependent on surrounding adults. Addressing child abuse in the first years of life offers an excellent opportunity to assist the most vulnerable victims and effectively reduce the impact to families and communities in the ensuing years.     

“They’ve Always Been Good Mothers”: An Ethnographic Study of Early Childhood Intervention in Dublin

Randomized Controlled Trials are considered the “gold standard” in the evaluation of early childhood intervention (ECI) initiatives. These trials, however, do not illustrate the internal mechanisms of the intervention. Ethnography is better positioned to observe the long-term, intimate relationships among the actors involved and the process of program delivery. Preparing for Life is one of the few ECI initiatives to be studied with a combination of both methodologies. In so doing and looking ethnographically at the “logical model” illustrates how it does not reflect the “good relationship,” which is better explained with a blend of relational theories.     

Finding connections between spirituality and play for early childhood education

ABSTRACT

In an attempt to provide holistic education and care, expand the view of young children’s development to include the spiritual, and make connections with the found benefits of play for all areas of development, this article looks at 33 surveyed U.S. early childhood educators’ perceptions on nurturing spirituality through open-ended and free play. Data collected from the open-ended questions of an online survey were analyzed looking at 22 mentions of play as a mean to support spirituality. Findings show that 45.5% of surveyed teachers mentioned play as a way intentionally used in the classroom to nurture children’s spirituality. It is posed that developmentally appropriate approaches to early childhood education would be enhanced by including spirituality in their understanding of the child, as well as intentionally nurturing spirituality in educational settings, by providing free, child-centered, child-directed play and opportunities for children to experience spiritual moments, defined as feeling wonder, awe, joy, and inner-peace.     

Photograph method fosters direct access to second-language word meaning: Direct evidence from a word-picture matching task

This experiment was designed to investigate conceptual links directly through a word–picture matching task in children. Participants were asked to indicate between two pictures the one depicting the same concept as the newly learned L2 word (target). One of the two pictures was the target, while the other was either semantically related to it or was unrelated. To investigate whether learning methods modulate L2 word processing, two learning methods were compared: an L2-photograph method and an L1-L2 method. Results showed a semantic interference effect only with the L2-photograph method: Children responded more slowly in the related condition than in the unrelated one. The learning method modulated L2 word processing and L2 word meaning was not necessarily accessed through L1 mediation in the first steps of learning. The method used paves the way for the direct investigation of conceptual links.     

A translational application of music for preschool cognitive development: RCT evidence for improved executive function,self-regulation,and school readiness

The benefits of active music participation and training for cognitive development have been evidenced in multiple studies, with this link leveraged in music therapy approaches with clinical populations. Although music, rhythm, and movement activities are widely integrated into children's play and early education, few studies have systematically translated music therapy-based approaches to a nonclinical population to support early cognitive development. This study reports the follow-up effects of the Rhythm and Movement for Self Regulation (RAMSR) program delivered by generalist preschool teachers in low socioeconomic communities. This randomized control trial (RCT) involved 213 children across eight preschools in disadvantaged communities in Queensland, Australia. The intervention group received 16–20 sessions of RAMSR over 8 weeks, while the control group undertook usual preschool programs. Primary outcome measures included executive function (child assessment of shifting, working memory, and inhibition) and self-regulation (teacher report), with secondary outcomes of school readiness and visual-motor integration. Data were collected pre- and post-intervention, and again 6 months later once children had transitioned into school. Results demonstrated significant intervention effects across the three time points for school readiness (p = 0.038, η_p² = 0.09), self-regulation (p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.08), and inhibition (p = 0.002 η_p² = 0.23). Additionally, the feasibility of building capacity in teachers without any music background to successfully deliver the program was evidenced. These findings are important given that children from low socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to need support for cognitive development yet have inequitable access to quality music and movement programs.

Research Highlights

• Initial effects of self-regulation from a rhythm and movement program were sustained following transition into school for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Delayed effects of inhibition and school readiness from a rhythm and movement program appeared 6 months post-intervention as children entered school.
• Generalist teachers can successfully implement a rhythm and movement program, which boosts critical developmental cognitive skills.

     

Children's conceptions of physical events: Explicit and tacit understanding of horizontal motion

The conceptual understanding that children display when predicting physical events has been shown to be inferior to the understanding they display when recognizing whether events proceed naturally. This has often been attributed to differences between the explicit engagement with conceptual knowledge required for prediction and the tacit engagement that suffices for recognition, and contrasting theories have been formulated to characterize the differences. Focusing on a theory that emphasizes omission at the explicit level of conceptual elements that are tacitly understood, the paper reports two studies that attempt clarification. The studies are concerned with 6‐ to 10‐year‐old children's understanding of, respectively, the direction (141 children) and speed (132 children) of motion in a horizontal direction. Using computer‐presented billiards scenarios, the children predicted how balls would move (prediction task) and judged whether or not simulated motion was correct (recognition task). Results indicate that the conceptions underpinning prediction are sometimes interpretable as partial versions of the conceptions underpinning recognition, as the omission hypothesis would imply. However, there are also qualitative differences, which suggest partial dissociation between explicit and tacit understanding. It is suggested that a theoretical perspective that acknowledges this dissociation would provide the optimal framework for future research.