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Title: Accuracy of child event frequency reports.
Creator: Dirghangi, Shrija R., Laursen, Brett, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: The current study assessed whether the accuracy of children’s self-reports of events experienced differs as a function of age and how the question is asked. Additional factors like metamemory and distractibility were assessed. Primary-school students (M= 7.7 years) and middle-school students (M = 9.7 years) completed two different versions of an event frequency measure, two times, at one week intervals. In one of the measures of event frequency, no memory prompts were provided (uncued...
Show moreThe current study assessed whether the accuracy of children’s self-reports of events experienced differs as a function of age and how the question is asked. Additional factors like metamemory and distractibility were assessed. Primary-school students (M= 7.7 years) and middle-school students (M = 9.7 years) completed two different versions of an event frequency measure, two times, at one week intervals. In one of the measures of event frequency, no memory prompts were provided (uncued questionnaire condition), while in the other measure, recall categories for aiding recollections were provided (cued questionnaire condition). Participants’ self-reported event frequencies for the cued and uncued questionnaires were compared with trained observers’ event frequencies for the cued and uncued conditions. Older children reported event frequency more accurately than younger participants. Participants also reported events with greater accuracy with the aid of memory prompts than without, an effect that was especially strong among the younger children. Neither metamemory nor distractibility was accountable for the differences within age groups. The findings suggest that age-related improvements in accuracy of event frequency across the transition into adolescence may, in part, be due to improvements in the ability to recall and recount those events in the absence of memory cues.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004190, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004190
Subject Headings: Cognition in adolescence, Cognition in children, Memory -- Age factors, Memory in adolescence, Memory in children, Metacognition
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: An Exploratory Study of the Relationships Among the Cognitive Styles of Teachers, Students and Their Reading Materials in Second and Fourth Grade Classrooms.
Creator: Kuchinskas, Gloria A., Logsdon, James D., Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: In this study, the relationships among cognitive styles of teachers, students and reading rnaterials were studied. Children in second and fourth grade classr:ooms were matched with their teachers on elements on their cognitive style maps. A construct of cognitive style developed by Dr. Joseph Hill of Oakland Community College was used. This construct examines the subject in four areas: 1) the subject's use of theoretical symbols, such as, words and numbers, 2) his reactions to qualitative...
Show moreIn this study, the relationships among cognitive styles of teachers, students and reading rnaterials were studied. Children in second and fourth grade classr:ooms were matched with their teachers on elements on their cognitive style maps. A construct of cognitive style developed by Dr. Joseph Hill of Oakland Community College was used. This construct examines the subject in four areas: 1) the subject's use of theoretical symbols, such as, words and numbers, 2) his reactions to qualitative codes, such as, sensory or kinesic information, 3) the cultural deterrninants of his actions and 4) the modes of reasoning he prefers. This study indicated that it was possible to map young children and their teachers and arrive at a comparison of teachers' and students' maps. Interaction did occur in the classroom based on the similarities and differences between students and teachers. Achievement in reading was affected by this interaction.
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Date Issued: 1974
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000674
Subject Headings: Cognitive styles, Cognition in children, Reading comprehension
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Children's adaptave strategies in a tool use task.
Creator: Weinstein, Allison., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Problem solving and strategy adaptation was assessed in 47 children ranging from 36 to 67 months. This was evaluated through problem sets in which participants were given tools that failed to reach given goal states, and then instructed to select appropriate tools in order to reach desired results. Analyses revealed that when participants were given a choice of tools to solve a given problem, they were more likely to select a correct tool when options were similar in function and appearance....
Show moreProblem solving and strategy adaptation was assessed in 47 children ranging from 36 to 67 months. This was evaluated through problem sets in which participants were given tools that failed to reach given goal states, and then instructed to select appropriate tools in order to reach desired results. Analyses revealed that when participants were given a choice of tools to solve a given problem, they were more likely to select a correct tool when options were similar in function and appearance. Additionally, participants were more likely to verbalize the need for a new tool when there was a lack of novel tool choices. However, the presence of a novel tool choice was linked to longer problem solving time. Findings are congruent with literature that suggests children possess the ability to select tools based on functional, not superficial, qualities, and can be easily distracted by the presence of novel stimuli.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3356896
Subject Headings: Learning, Psychology of, Educational tests and measurements, Cognition in children, Cognitive styles in children, Human information processing in children, Individual differences in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Children's conceptual understanding of growth.
Creator: Copeland, Aquilla D., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Growth is a property that is unique to living things. Studies demonstrate that even preschool children use growth to determine whether objects are alive. However, little identifies explanations that children use to attribute growth. The goal of the present study was to investigate how people reason about growth. We hypothesized that older children would outperform younger children in understanding that growth is inevitable for living things, while adults would consistently perform at ceiling...
Show moreGrowth is a property that is unique to living things. Studies demonstrate that even preschool children use growth to determine whether objects are alive. However, little identifies explanations that children use to attribute growth. The goal of the present study was to investigate how people reason about growth. We hypothesized that older children would outperform younger children in understanding that growth is inevitable for living things, while adults would consistently perform at ceiling levels. Our hypothesis was partially supported. Although adults consistently outperformed children, older children rarely outperformed younger children. Still, both younger and older children performed above chance in attributing growth. Moreover, all participants were more likely to use biological explanations to explain growth. Taken together, this research qualifies the early hypotheses of Piaget (1929) and Carey (1985) that children lack a well developed biological domain before age nine, but suggests that a biological domain, though less developed, is present. Based on these findings, implications for more efficient approaches to science education are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2974434
Subject Headings: Cognition in children, Imagery (Psychology) in children, Child development, Identity (Psychology) in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Children's perceptions of peer reactions to school-related behaviors and affect.
Creator: Garcia, M. Christina, Florida Atlantic University, Perry, Louise C.
Abstract/Description: Children's (Grades 4-8) perceptions of peer reactions to academic performance, affect, and conduct were examined in relation to achievement outcomes as measured by school grades, achievement test scores, and peer-based behavioral and affect judgments. Both sexes thought same-sex peers were more supportive of academic performance in boys than in girls. The hypothesis that expectations of peer reactions are related to achievement was partially supported, especially for the younger male subjects...
Show moreChildren's (Grades 4-8) perceptions of peer reactions to academic performance, affect, and conduct were examined in relation to achievement outcomes as measured by school grades, achievement test scores, and peer-based behavioral and affect judgments. Both sexes thought same-sex peers were more supportive of academic performance in boys than in girls. The hypothesis that expectations of peer reactions are related to achievement was partially supported, especially for the younger male subjects, whose achievement was systematically related to perceptions about the reactions of the female peer group to other girls. Theoretical and practical implications of the research findings were discussed.
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Date Issued: 1995
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15211
Subject Headings: Academic achievement, Motivation in education, Cognition in children, Self-perception
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: CHILDREN'S RECOGNITION OF STRATEGY USE IN THE RECALL OF THEIR CLASSMATES' NAMES.
Creator: ZEMAN, BARBARA RIDGDILL, Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: First and third grade children were asked to recall the names of their classmates. Organization of recall was assessed with regard to structures in the classroom (e.g. , seating arrangements, reading groups). Following recall, children were given a list of four possible strategies and asked to select which, if any, they used. Levels of organization were high and undifferentiated for first and third graders with the majority of children being unable to select accurately the strategy used in...
Show moreFirst and third grade children were asked to recall the names of their classmates. Organization of recall was assessed with regard to structures in the classroom (e.g. , seating arrangements, reading groups). Following recall, children were given a list of four possible strategies and asked to select which, if any, they used. Levels of organization were high and undifferentiated for first and third graders with the majority of children being unable to select accurately the strategy used in class recall as reflected by organization (ARC) scores. Furthermore, the distribution of subjects accurately identifying a strategy in this task was no greater than th2t of subjects in an earlier experiment who were asked to describe the strategy they used. These results indicate that although children demonstrate high levels of recall and organization on this task, they do not show comparable abilities in strategy awareness, and that this is not due merely to their inability to produce a verbal response.
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Date Issued: 1980
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14033
Subject Headings: Memory in children, Cognition in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Children's understanding of sleep and death: Implications of intentional persistence for theory of mind and the theory theory/simulation debate.
Creator: Cormier, Christopher A., Florida Atlantic University, Bjorklund, David F.
Abstract/Description: Bering and Bjorklund (2004) reported that (1) the knowledge that conscious mental states cease with the onset of death (discontinuity reasoning, "DR") emerges developmentally; and (2) DR for some states (emotions, desire, epistemic) is more difficult than others (psychobiological, perceptual). In the current study, preschool/kindergarteners, 2nd/3 rd graders, 5th/6th graders and adults viewed a puppet story in which an anthropomorphized juvenile mouse character was explicitly enriched with a...
Show moreBering and Bjorklund (2004) reported that (1) the knowledge that conscious mental states cease with the onset of death (discontinuity reasoning, "DR") emerges developmentally; and (2) DR for some states (emotions, desire, epistemic) is more difficult than others (psychobiological, perceptual). In the current study, preschool/kindergarteners, 2nd/3 rd graders, 5th/6th graders and adults viewed a puppet story in which an anthropomorphized juvenile mouse character was explicitly enriched with a variety of mental states prior to falling asleep; the results were highly similar to those of Bering and Bjorklund. Statistical comparison of these data with those of Bering and Bjorklund demonstrates that DR for emotions, desires and epistemic contents is equally difficult for both death and sleep, and suggests the influence of both simulation and implicit theoretical factors. An evolved adaptation designed to maintain vigilance in the presence of immobile agents, but that also likely underlies intuitive dualism (intentional persistence) is proposed.
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Date Issued: 2005
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13279
Subject Headings: Developmental psychology, Philosophy of mind in children, Cognition in children, Thought and thinking
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: COGNITIVE INTERPRETATION DEFICITS IN AGGRESSIVE AND VICTIM CHILDREN.
Creator: HALLECK, BETH A., Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: Using Dodge's (1986) social information processing model of social competence, we examined the interpretation of social cues in 48 third through sixth grade children classified on the dimensions of aggression and victimization. It was hypothesized that both aggressive and victim children would show interpretation (attribution) deficits or biases as compared to controls. In order to test this hypothesis, subjects were administered a series of short stories. Four of these scenarios depicted...
Show moreUsing Dodge's (1986) social information processing model of social competence, we examined the interpretation of social cues in 48 third through sixth grade children classified on the dimensions of aggression and victimization. It was hypothesized that both aggressive and victim children would show interpretation (attribution) deficits or biases as compared to controls. In order to test this hypothesis, subjects were administered a series of short stories. Four of these scenarios depicted ambiguous provocations and three depicted ambiguous prosocial acts directed toward the subject. The stories were designed to measure the extent to which children made negative, blaming attributions in response to the stories. The results provided partial support for the prediction. While victim children manifested no biases, the aggressive children did possess a hostile attributional bias. It was suggested that these children are distinct from each other and may possess very different biases that account for the observed behavioral differences.
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Date Issued: 1987
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14392
Subject Headings: Cognition in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A comparison of typicality judgments of learning-disabled and nonlearning-disabled children.
Creator: Willits, Paula P., Florida Atlantic University, Smiley, Lydia R., Taylor, Ronald L.
Abstract/Description: Typicality judgments refer to the extent to which items are thought to be typical of their language categories. For example, an apple is a typical fruit, whereas a kiwi is an atypical one. Typicality judgments help reveal a person's level of word knowledge and concept development. The theory of category prototypes (Posner, 1969) gave rise to the assessment of the typicality judgments of children and adults. The two main purposes of this study were to provide typicality norms for learning...
Show moreTypicality judgments refer to the extent to which items are thought to be typical of their language categories. For example, an apple is a typical fruit, whereas a kiwi is an atypical one. Typicality judgments help reveal a person's level of word knowledge and concept development. The theory of category prototypes (Posner, 1969) gave rise to the assessment of the typicality judgments of children and adults. The two main purposes of this study were to provide typicality norms for learning disabled (LD) children, and to clarify the nature of the differences between learning disabled and nondisabled (NLD) students regarding their word knowledge and categorization skills. A total of 210 subjects participated in the study; 180 were public school children (grades 2, 4, 6) from Palm Beach County, Florida. Half of these students attended part-time classes for the learning disabled while the other half were enrolled in regular classrooms. All children had achieved IQs in the average range of intelligence. The remainder of the subjects (30) were adult college students at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. All subjects were asked to determine whether each of 125 words were category members, and if they were, how well each one exemplified the particular category in question. Categories included birds, clothing, vegetables, fruit, and four-footed animals. Results revealed that the LD children knew the meanings of fewer category items, included fewer appropriate words as category items, and were less adultlike in their rankings of words that were included as category members. Although both LD and NLD children's word rankings became more adultlike with age, the LD children's pattern of progression differed. For LD children, typicality ratings became significantly more adultlike between grades four and six, whereas the NLD subjects demonstrated significantly improved ratings between grades two and four. This different pattern illustrated a developmental lag in word knowledge for the LD children.
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Date Issued: 1991
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12279
Subject Headings: Categorization (Psychology) in children, Learning disabled children--Education--Language, Children--Language, Cognition in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Developing mechanisms of self-regulation: an integrative perspective.
Creator: Kadin-Pessoa, Aviva R., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Parents' and children's behaviors are intricately woven together over the course of development. Consequently it is difficulty to determine the sources of influence predicting socially and academically oriented outcomes. Research from several developmental fields suggests that developing mechanisms of attention during the preschool years is crucial for both emotional and cognitive control. The current study shows that parental responsive behavior is important in understanding the development...
Show moreParents' and children's behaviors are intricately woven together over the course of development. Consequently it is difficulty to determine the sources of influence predicting socially and academically oriented outcomes. Research from several developmental fields suggests that developing mechanisms of attention during the preschool years is crucial for both emotional and cognitive control. The current study shows that parental responsive behavior is important in understanding the development of voluntary attention. More specifically, the results suggest that parental awareness, assessed utilizing their perceptions of attentive temperament is an important factor in predicting their own behavior and the developmental outcomes of their children.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2705084
Subject Headings: Parent and child, Attachment behavior in childhood, Family, Psychological aspects, Emotions and cognition, Cognition in children, Human information processing, Attribution (Social psychology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Development of inhibition as a function of the presence of an intentional agent.
Creator: King, Ashley., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: This thesis examined the developmental differences in inhibition and theory-of-mind of 4-8 year olds as a function of the suggested presence of a supernatural agent. All children played four games designed to assess their current level of inhibition and theory-of-mind performance; Children in the experimental condition, only, were also introduced to an invisible Princess Alice and were told that she was watching during the games. Following these measures, all children engaged in a resistance...
Show moreThis thesis examined the developmental differences in inhibition and theory-of-mind of 4-8 year olds as a function of the suggested presence of a supernatural agent. All children played four games designed to assess their current level of inhibition and theory-of-mind performance; Children in the experimental condition, only, were also introduced to an invisible Princess Alice and were told that she was watching during the games. Following these measures, all children engaged in a resistance-to-temptation task to determine any differences in inhibition resulting from Princess Alice's suggested presence. I found that children exhibiting a well-developed theory-of-mind were more likely to express belief in Princess Alice than were children lacking this cognitive ability. This research provided support that cognitive maturity, rather than immaturity, may be necessary for children to express belief in novel supernatural agents, and highlighted the importance of context as a mediating factor in children's behavioral inhibition.
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Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/227977
Subject Headings: Child psychopathology, Physiological aspects, Cognition in children, Philosophy of mind in children, Inhibition
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The development of math strategies in a sociocultural context.
Creator: Hubertz, Martha J., Florida Atlantic University, Bjorklund, David F., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Current studies are rapidly investigating strategy choice on tasks such as math and reading that children encounter in day to day life; it follows that strategy development should also be examined in the naturalistic settings where children actually perform these tasks. From a sociocultural learning perspective, we examined five year old children's arithmetic strategy use, in a game context, with the most likely of mentors for a young child, his or her parents. Children played three games of...
Show moreCurrent studies are rapidly investigating strategy choice on tasks such as math and reading that children encounter in day to day life; it follows that strategy development should also be examined in the naturalistic settings where children actually perform these tasks. From a sociocultural learning perspective, we examined five year old children's arithmetic strategy use, in a game context, with the most likely of mentors for a young child, his or her parents. Children played three games of a modified version of "Chutes and Ladders" with one of their parents. Children's strategy use and parents' behavior were coded and analyzed. Results indicate that parents usually provided appropriate support to their children, providing more direction and assistance to the children who required them, and less to those who did not.
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Date Issued: 1999
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15731
Subject Headings: Mathematical ability, Problem solving in children, Cognition in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The development of the concept of self as measured by a cognitive task.
Creator: Lyon, Katharine Vinelle, Florida Atlantic University, Bjorklund, David F.
Abstract/Description: The development of the concept of self was measured in second, fourth, sixth, and eighth graders. Recall of psychological and physical adjectives were used as a cognitive measure of the concept of self. The adjectives were presented under three conditions (self referent, semantic, and control). The children also asked to rate the adjectives for similarity or dissimilarity to themselves. Differences between grades for levels of recall for physical versus psychological adjectives were examined....
Show moreThe development of the concept of self was measured in second, fourth, sixth, and eighth graders. Recall of psychological and physical adjectives were used as a cognitive measure of the concept of self. The adjectives were presented under three conditions (self referent, semantic, and control). The children also asked to rate the adjectives for similarity or dissimilarity to themselves. Differences between grades for levels of recall for physical versus psychological adjectives were examined. In contrast to earlier research, a developmental trend was not discovered. Increased recall was found for adjectives presented under the self referent condition for all grades.
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Date Issued: 1990
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14599
Subject Headings: Self-perception in children, Cognition in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The development of utilization deficiencies in a sort/recall memory task.
Creator: Coyle, Thomas Roger., Florida Atlantic University, Bjorklund, David F.
Abstract/Description: The development and correlates of utilization deficiencies in second-, third-, and fourth-graders were examined in two separate testing sessions, separated by a one-week interval. In the first session, children received a series of tests assessing self-attributions, metamemory, and intelligence. These factors were proposed to influence the development of utilization deficiencies. In the second session, children were given five sort/recall trials using a different list of categorically related...
Show moreThe development and correlates of utilization deficiencies in second-, third-, and fourth-graders were examined in two separate testing sessions, separated by a one-week interval. In the first session, children received a series of tests assessing self-attributions, metamemory, and intelligence. These factors were proposed to influence the development of utilization deficiencies. In the second session, children were given five sort/recall trials using a different list of categorically related words on each trial and then classified as utilizationally deficient according to their patterns of strategy use and recall over trials. Analysis of mean levels of recall and strategy use demonstrated utilization deficiencies for third graders. Analysis of data for individual subjects revealed that utilization deficiencies were associated with enhanced performance for second and third graders, but lower performance for fourth graders. Attributions of effort were found to be associated with utilization deficiencies for the third graders. The nonsignificant associations of intelligence and metamemory with utilization deficiencies are discussed in terms of domain specific cognition.
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Date Issued: 1993
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14964
Subject Headings: Cognition in children, Memory in children, Recollection (Psychology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Early Childhood Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge of Children’sCognitive Development and Developmentally AppropriatePedagogical Practices: Understanding the Role of ClinicalExperiences.
Creator: Beers, Courtney, Bhagwanji, Yashwant, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
Abstract/Description: The quality of early caregiving and educational environments has a significant effect on children’s later cognitive outcomes. Early childhood teachers are an important determining factor in the quality of these environments. Due to inconsistencies in practice across the early childhood field, there is a call for better prepared teachers. Teacher preparation itself is criticized for its lack of innovative and effective practices. While research finds that more effective teacher preparation...
Show moreThe quality of early caregiving and educational environments has a significant effect on children’s later cognitive outcomes. Early childhood teachers are an important determining factor in the quality of these environments. Due to inconsistencies in practice across the early childhood field, there is a call for better prepared teachers. Teacher preparation itself is criticized for its lack of innovative and effective practices. While research finds that more effective teacher preparation programs are those that are steeped in clinical practice, these types of experiences are inconsistent and fragmented in the early childhood field. Part of the issue is the lack of knowledge on how to integrate highquality clinical experiences carefully into early childhood teacher preparation in order to prepare all preservice teachers successfully for the classroom.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004647, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004647
Subject Headings: Cognition in children, Early childhood educators -- Training of, Early childhood teachers -- In service training, Pedagogical content knowledge, Preschool teaching
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: EARLY SUBJECT-OBJECT RELATIONS AND THE PERCEPTION OF SYNTACTIC RELATIONS IN SPEECH: THE SOCIAL GENESIS OF SEMANTIC STRUCTURE AS A FUNCTION OF FATHER ABSENCE.
Creator: LORICCHIO, DAVID FRANK., Florida Atlantic University, Tarantino, Santo J., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Sociology
Abstract/Description: Statistical analysis of test scores obtained from forty-one children separated from the father during early life and their matched controls provides support for the conclusion that the quality or type of subject-object interaction in the caretaking environment effectively contributes to one's concept of the self as involved in a world of other selves and objects, as one other member of a social system. The concepts of self and other are derived from the form of experience which one has had in...
Show moreStatistical analysis of test scores obtained from forty-one children separated from the father during early life and their matched controls provides support for the conclusion that the quality or type of subject-object interaction in the caretaking environment effectively contributes to one's concept of the self as involved in a world of other selves and objects, as one other member of a social system. The concepts of self and other are derived from the form of experience which one has had in responding to others present. Conceptual thinking emerges as a reflection upon objects known. Objects are known to the self as a result of actions taken in response to a thing's good or useful properties. Seen in this way, knowledge represents an instrumental relation of knower to thing known.
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Date Issued: 1980
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14028
Subject Headings: Cognition in children, Paternal deprivation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Effects of problem-based learning with web-anchored instruction in nanotechnology on the science conceptual understanding, the attitude towards science, and the perception of science in society of elementary students.
Creator: Yurick, Karla Anne., College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
Abstract/Description: This study explored the effects of Problem-Based Leaning (PBL) with webanchored instruction in nanotechnology on the science conceptual understanding, the attitude towards science, and the perception of science in society of elementary students. A mixed-methods approach was used. Subjects (N=46) participated in the study for approximately two and a half weeks. A pretest was administered for science conceptual understanding and for attitude towards science. An intervention, web-based...
Show moreThis study explored the effects of Problem-Based Leaning (PBL) with webanchored instruction in nanotechnology on the science conceptual understanding, the attitude towards science, and the perception of science in society of elementary students. A mixed-methods approach was used. Subjects (N=46) participated in the study for approximately two and a half weeks. A pretest was administered for science conceptual understanding and for attitude towards science. An intervention, web-based nanotechnology anchor, Catching the Rays, followed. Catching the Rays navigated subjects through a nano quest on sunscreen. After the intervention, a posttest was administered for each science conceptual understanding and attitude towards science. Following, a purposeful selection of interviewees (N=6) participated in a Nano Post- Interview. Pretest/posttest data were analyzed using a paired t test. Results of the paired t test for science conceptual understanding (post- being larger than pre-, p <. 01) and attitude towards science (post- being larger than pre-, p < .01) were significant at the p < .05 alpha level. Nano Post-Interview data were coded and analyzed independently by two raters for emerging themes. Two themes of "Risks and Benefits" and "Solves Problems" emerged from subjects' (N=6) responses to perception of science in society questions. The theme of "Risks and Benefits" strongly suggests that subjects have a positive perception that nanotechnology comes with risks and benefits to society. The theme of "Solves Problems" strongly suggests subjects have a positive perception that nanotechnology is governed by society's needs and is used to help solve society's problems. Findings from this study suggest that PBL with web-anchored instruction in nanotechnology had a positive effect on subjects' science conceptual understanding, attitude towards science, and perception of science in society.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3322517
Subject Headings: Science, Study and teaching (Elementary), Computer-assisted instruction, Educational technology, Achievement in education, Cognition in children, Knowledge, Theory of
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Functional constraints on young children's object problem solving.
Creator: Bidmead, Sarah, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Although some research has suggested that very young children are "immune" to functional fixedness (FF), other work has shown that young children form robust associations between objects and their prescribed functions. Across two studies, I investigated (a) the developmental trajectory of FF and (b) its relationship with executive function components (inhibitory control and working memory) in 3- to 6-year old children. Both older and younger children experience FF, but older children use...
Show moreAlthough some research has suggested that very young children are "immune" to functional fixedness (FF), other work has shown that young children form robust associations between objects and their prescribed functions. Across two studies, I investigated (a) the developmental trajectory of FF and (b) its relationship with executive function components (inhibitory control and working memory) in 3- to 6-year old children. Both older and younger children experience FF, but older children use familiar tools more flexibly than younger children (3- and 4-year olds). Furthermore, inhibitory control was related to overcoming FF, indicating that it may be an important cognitive capacity for creative problem-solving. Finally, in a third study, children were instructed to use mental imagery to help them solve the functional fixedness problems. However, these instructions were ineffective at reducing FF compared to a control condition, underscoring the robust nature of object-function relationships in early childhood.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359286
Subject Headings: Learning, Psychology of, Developmental psychology, Cognition in children, Visual perception in chldren
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Infants' perception of synthetic-like multisensory relations.
Creator: Minar, Nicholas J., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Studies have shown that human infants can integrate the multisensory attributes of their world and, thus, have coherent perceptual experiences. Multisensory attributes can either specify non-arbitrary (e.g., amodal stimulus/event properties and typical relations) or arbitrary properties (e.g., visuospatial height and pitch). The goal of the current study was to expand on Walker et al.'s (2010) finding that 4-month-old infants looked longer at rising/falling objects when accompanied by rising...
Show moreStudies have shown that human infants can integrate the multisensory attributes of their world and, thus, have coherent perceptual experiences. Multisensory attributes can either specify non-arbitrary (e.g., amodal stimulus/event properties and typical relations) or arbitrary properties (e.g., visuospatial height and pitch). The goal of the current study was to expand on Walker et al.'s (2010) finding that 4-month-old infants looked longer at rising/falling objects when accompanied by rising/falling pitch than when accompanied by falling/rising pitch. We did so by conducting two experiments. In Experiment 1, our procedure matched Walker et al.'s (2010) single screen presentation while in Experiment 2 we used a multisensory paired-preference procedure. Additionally, we examined infants' responsiveness to these synesthetic-like events at multiple ages throughout development (four, six, and 12 months of age). ... In sum, our findings indicate that the ability to match changing visuospatial height with rising/falling pitch does not emerge until the end of the first year of life and throw into doubt Walker et al.'s (2010) claim that 4-month-old infants perceive audiovisual synesthetic relations in a manner similar to adults.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362552
Subject Headings: Cognition in children, Individual differences in children, Infant psychology, Infants, Development, Perception in infants, Intersensory effects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ON CHILDREN'S CLASSIFICATION AND FREE RECALL.
Creator: WEISS, SARA CULVER., Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: Developmental and socioeconomic status (SES) differences in classificatfon styles indicate that young and low SES children are more likely to sort objects nontaxonomically whereas older and middle SES children are more likely to sort taxonomically. When children establish stable organizational schemes (taxonomic or nontaxonomic), memory performance is usually enhanced. Eighty-five kindergarten and first grade subjects were divided into three socioeconomic groupings and given two sort/recall...
Show moreDevelopmental and socioeconomic status (SES) differences in classificatfon styles indicate that young and low SES children are more likely to sort objects nontaxonomically whereas older and middle SES children are more likely to sort taxonomically. When children establish stable organizational schemes (taxonomic or nontaxonomic), memory performance is usually enhanced. Eighty-five kindergarten and first grade subjects were divided into three socioeconomic groupings and given two sort/recall tasks. For whites, recall was greater when subjects sorted to a criterion of two identical sorts than it was when they sorted only once, and white College subjects were more apt to sort the items taxonomically than were children of other SES groupings. No significant effects were found for blacks. Because the results revealed no consistent differences in performance as a function of SES, it was concluded that children of all SES levels can generate and use organizational schemes to guide retrieval.
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Date Issued: 1983
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14147
Subject Headings: Memory in children, Cognition in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Memory in children (5)	+ -
Individual differences in children (4)	+ -
Learning, Psychology of (3)	+ -
Child development (2)	+ -
Developmental psychology (2)	+ -

Intersensory effects (2)	+ -
Metacognition (2)	+ -
Parent and child (2)	+ -
Philosophy of mind in children (2)	+ -
Physiological aspects (2)	+ -
Problem solving in children (2)	+ -
Science (2)	+ -
Study and teaching (Elementary) (2)	+ -
Academic achievement (1)	+ -
Achievement in education (1)	+ -
Association of ideas (1)	+ -
Attachment behavior in childhood (1)	+ -
Attachment behavior in children (1)	+ -
Attribution (Social psychology) (1)	+ -
Brain -- Physiological aspects (1)	+ -
Categorization (Psychology) in children (1)	+ -
Child development--Research (1)	+ -
Child psychopathology (1)	+ -
Children--Language (1)	+ -
Cognition in adolescence (1)	+ -
Cognitive neuroscience (1)	+ -
Cognitive styles (1)	+ -
Cognitive styles in children (1)	+ -
Computer-assisted instruction (1)	+ -

Florida Atlantic University (21)	+ -
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science (14)	+ -
Department of Psychology (13)	+ -
Bjorklund, David F. (8)	+ -
College of Education (3)	+ -

Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry (3)	+ -
Minar, Nicholas J. (2)	+ -
Taylor, Ronald L. (2)	+ -
Beers, Courtney (1)	+ -
Bhagwanji, Yashwant (1)	+ -
Bidmead, Sarah (1)	+ -
CLARK, MARIAN CHERIE. (1)	+ -
Causey, Kayla B. (1)	+ -
Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences (1)	+ -
Copeland, Aquilla D. (1)	+ -
Cormier, Christopher A. (1)	+ -
Coyle, Thomas Roger. (1)	+ -
Department of Sociology (1)	+ -
Dirghangi, Shrija R. (1)	+ -
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters (1)	+ -
Garcia, M. Christina (1)	+ -
Gordon, Reyna Leigh. (1)	+ -
HALLECK, BETH A. (1)	+ -
Hubertz, Martha J. (1)	+ -
JACOBS, JOHN WILLIAM (1)	+ -
Jones, Nancy Aaron (1)	+ -
Kadin-Pessoa, Aviva R. (1)	+ -
Kerensky, Vasil M. (1)	+ -
King, Ashley. (1)	+ -
Kuchinskas, Gloria A. (1)	+ -

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