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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: Neuroplasticity and the developing brain: the psychophysiological effects of mindfulness meditation on school-aged children.
Creator: Worch, Sarah M., Jones, Nancy Aaron, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Many studies have supported the overall health benefits of mindfulness meditation practices for adults, but research exploring such benefits for children is sparse. The present study explored the psychophysiological effects of mindfulness meditation over a 10 week-period on a sample of 2nd-and 4th-grade children. Electroencephalograph (EEG) asymmetry and coherence were recorded at baseline and immediately after the meditation intervention for the experimental group, and at baseline and after...
Show moreMany studies have supported the overall health benefits of mindfulness meditation practices for adults, but research exploring such benefits for children is sparse. The present study explored the psychophysiological effects of mindfulness meditation over a 10 week-period on a sample of 2nd-and 4th-grade children. Electroencephalograph (EEG) asymmetry and coherence were recorded at baseline and immediately after the meditation intervention for the experimental group, and at baseline and after 10 weeks for the control group. Measures of affect, behavioral motivation, creativity, and depression were also administered. The primary findings indicated that when improvement in depressive symptoms occurred for 4th-grade students who were somewhat engaged in meditation practice, left-sided frontal EEG activity was also more prominent. Additionally, 4th-grade students who actively participated in meditation practice experienced decreases in self-reported levels of negative affect. Results suggest that mindfulness meditation is beneficial for improving 4th-grade students’ mood and brain regions associated with mood.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004238, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004238
Subject Headings: Brain -- Physiological aspects, Cognition in children, Mind and body, Mindfulness based cognitive therapy, Psychophysiology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Neural and behavioral correlates of song prosody.
Creator: Gordon, Reyna Leigh., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences
Abstract/Description: This dissertation studies the neural basis of song, a universal human behavior. The relationship of words and melodies in the perception of song at phonological, semantic, melodic, and rhythmic levels of processing was investigated using the fine temporal resolution of Electroencephalography (EEG). The observations reported here may shed light on a ubiquitous human experience and also inform the discussion of whether language and music share neural resources or recruit domain-specific neural...
Show moreThis dissertation studies the neural basis of song, a universal human behavior. The relationship of words and melodies in the perception of song at phonological, semantic, melodic, and rhythmic levels of processing was investigated using the fine temporal resolution of Electroencephalography (EEG). The observations reported here may shed light on a ubiquitous human experience and also inform the discussion of whether language and music share neural resources or recruit domain-specific neural mechanisms. Experiment 1 was designed to determine whether words and melody in song are processed interactively or independently. Participants listened to sung words in which the melodies and/or the words were similar or different, and performed a same/different task while attending to the linguistic and musical dimensions in separate blocks of trials. Event-Related Potentials and behavioral data converged in showing interactive processing between the linguistic and musical dimensions of sung words, regardless of the direction of attention. In particular, the N400 component, a well-established marker of semantic processing, was modulated by musical melody. The observation that variations in musical features affect lexico-semantic processing in sung language was a novel finding with implications for shared neural resources between language and music. Experiment 2 was designed to explore the idea that well-aligned text-settings, in which the strong syllables occur on strong beats, capture listeners' attention and help them understand song lyrics. EEG was recorded while participants listened to sung sentences whose linguistic stress patterns were well-aligned, misaligned, or had variable alignment with the musical meter, and performed a lexical decision task on subsequently presented visual targets., Results showed that induced beta and evoked gamma power were modulated differently for well-aligned and misaligned syllables, and that task performance was adversely affected when visual targets followed misaligned and varied sentences. These findings suggest that alignment of linguistic stress and musical meter in song enhance beat tracking and linguistic segmentation by entraining periodic fluctuations in high frequency brain activity to the stimuli. A series of follow-up studies has been outlined to further investigate the relationship between rhythmic attending in speech and music, and the influence of metrical alignment in songs on childhood language acquisition.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2705078
Subject Headings: Cognitive neuroscience, Learning, Physiological aspects, Cognition in children, Physiological aspects, Prosodic analysis (Linguistics)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Multisensory Cues Facilitate Infants’ Ability to Discriminate Other-Race Faces.
Creator: Minar, Nicholas J., Bjorklund, David F., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Our everyday world consists of people and objects that are usually specified by dynamic and concurrent auditory and visual attributes, which is known to increase perceptual salience and, therefore, facilitate learning and discrimination in infancy. Interestingly, early experience with faces and vocalizations has two seemingly opposite effects during the first year of life, 1) it enables infants to gradually acquire perceptual expertise for the faces and vocalizations of their own race and, 2)...
Show moreOur everyday world consists of people and objects that are usually specified by dynamic and concurrent auditory and visual attributes, which is known to increase perceptual salience and, therefore, facilitate learning and discrimination in infancy. Interestingly, early experience with faces and vocalizations has two seemingly opposite effects during the first year of life, 1) it enables infants to gradually acquire perceptual expertise for the faces and vocalizations of their own race and, 2) it narrows their ability to discriminate the faces of other-race faces (Kelly et al., 2007). It is not known whether multisensory redundancy might help older infants overcome the other-race effect reported in previous studies. The current project investigated infant discrimination of dynamic and vocalizing other-race faces in younger and older infants using habituation and eye-tracking methodologies. Experiment 1 examined 4-6 and 10-12-month-old infants' ability to discriminate either a native or non-native face articulating the syllable /a/. Results showed that both the 4-6- and the 10-12-month-olds successfully discriminated the faces,regardless of whether they were same- or other-race faces. Experiment 2 investigated the contribution of auditory speech cues by repeating Experiment 1 but in silence. Results showed that only the 10-12-month-olds tested with native-race faces successfully discriminated them. Experiment 3 investigated whether it was speech per se or sound in general that facilitated discrimination of the other-race faces in Experiment 1 by presenting a synchronous, computer-generated "boing" sound instead of audible speech cues. Results indicated that the 4-6-month olds discriminated both types of faces but that 10-12-month-olds only discriminated own-race faces. These results indicate that auditory cues, along with dynamic visual cues, can help infants overcome the effects of previously reported narrowing and facilitate discrimination of other-race static, silent faces. Critically, our results show that older infants can overcome the other race-effect when dynamic faces are accompanied by speech but not when they are accompanied by non- speech cues. Overall, a generalized auditory facilitation effect was found as a result of multisensory speech. Moreover, our findings suggest that infants' ability to process other- race faces following perceptual narrowing is more plastic than previously thought.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004525
Subject Headings: Cognition in children, Individual differences in children, Infant psychology, Infants -- Development, Intersensory effects, Perception in infants
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: 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: New insights into cognitive abilities of adjudicated youths.
Creator: Landrum, Fred Ray., Florida Atlantic University, Kerensky, Vasil M.
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the justification of using Full Scale IQ scores as the principal means of determining whether adjudicated youths are as capable of engaging in higher-order thinking processes as youths in public schools. This study examined the performance of a group of adjudicated youths (N = 50) in a correctional training school and a comparative group in a public school district (N = 50) on 4 of 10 mandatory subtests which comprise the Wechsler Intelligence...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate the justification of using Full Scale IQ scores as the principal means of determining whether adjudicated youths are as capable of engaging in higher-order thinking processes as youths in public schools. This study examined the performance of a group of adjudicated youths (N = 50) in a correctional training school and a comparative group in a public school district (N = 50) on 4 of 10 mandatory subtests which comprise the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R, WISC-III). The criteria for the subjective selection of subtests to be examined focused on choosing those which measured cognitive abilities and were not heavily influenced by acquired academic skills and socioeconomic factors. For each of the selected subtests, an inferential statistical analysis was made at a.01 level of significance using independent sample two-tailed t tests to compare the difference between the means of subtest scaled scores for subjects from the correctional training school and the public school district. The results of this analysis indicated that there was no significant difference between the cognitive abilities of the youths in the correctional training school and a comparative group in a public school district as measured by the selected subtests. This study supports the conclusion that the use of a Full Scale IQ score from a standardized intelligence test may not accurately reflect the individual cognitive abilities of adjudicated youth to engage in higher-order thinking processes. Recommendations were made for correctional educators to identify approaches which could be used that better target the higher-order thinking skills of an adjudicated youth population.
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Date Issued: 1995
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12431
Subject Headings: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Juvenile delinquents--Education, Cognition in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Using WatchMinder to increase the on-task behavior of students with autism spectrum disorder.
Creator: Finn, Lisa., College of Education, Department of Exceptional Student Education
Abstract/Description: In this study the effectiveness of WatchMinderTM, a vibrating prompt watch, was examined as a component of a self-monitoring intervention package to help students with autism increase on-task behavior during independent seatwork. A multitude of literature since the 1970s has suggested that self-monitoring interventions are integral in increasing task engagement. Tactile prompting devices are a new aspect of self-monitoring interventions, and the limited research has shown that these...
Show moreIn this study the effectiveness of WatchMinderTM, a vibrating prompt watch, was examined as a component of a self-monitoring intervention package to help students with autism increase on-task behavior during independent seatwork. A multitude of literature since the 1970s has suggested that self-monitoring interventions are integral in increasing task engagement. Tactile prompting devices are a new aspect of self-monitoring interventions, and the limited research has shown that these unobtrusive devices are effective for providing feedback to monitor their behavior. Self-graphing is another component of self-monitoring interventions that has received little attention in the literature. However, many studies recognize the importance for individuals to be active participants in their educational programs by analyzing progress and being a part of the decision making process. This study assessed the use of WatchMinder and self-graphing on the on-task behavior of four elementary students with autism in the special education setting.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362336
Subject Headings: Autism spectrum disorders in children, Treatment, Autism spectrum disorders in children, Behavior modification, Behavior disorders in children, Treatment, Communication in education, Cognitive therapy, Methodology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Auditory event-related potentials (P300) in the assessment of cognition in HIV infected children.
Creator: Starratt, Gerene K., Florida Atlantic University, Nash, Allan J.
Abstract/Description: The P300 component of the auditory event-related potential waveform was investigated in two groups of HIV positive children (symptomatic and asymptomatic) who were compared to HIV negative relatives. Results demonstrated the expected increased latencies of the P3b component in the symptomatic group, but no P3a latency differences. Amplitude measures of P3a and P3b showed no group differences. However, the symptomatic children had relatively larger P3a amplitudes whereas the asymptomatic...
Show moreThe P300 component of the auditory event-related potential waveform was investigated in two groups of HIV positive children (symptomatic and asymptomatic) who were compared to HIV negative relatives. Results demonstrated the expected increased latencies of the P3b component in the symptomatic group, but no P3a latency differences. Amplitude measures of P3a and P3b showed no group differences. However, the symptomatic children had relatively larger P3a amplitudes whereas the asymptomatic children had a larger P3b. Difference measures (P3b minus P3a) revealed a significant difference across groups. Discussion focuses on three interrelated issues: (1) the cognitive mechanisms which could account for the current findings, (2) the relevance of a symptomatic/asymptomatic distinction and a P3a/P3b distinction for the purposes of clinical research, and (3) the clinical implications of these findings.
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Date Issued: 1996
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15306
Subject Headings: Evoked potentials (Electrophysiology), Auditory evoked response, Perception in children--Testing, Cognition in children--Testing, Psychological tests for children, AIDS (Disease) in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Why rush growing up? A test of the cognitive immaturity hypothesis.
Creator: Rosenberg, Justin S., Florida Atlantic University, Bjorklund, David F.
Abstract/Description: This study examined the hypothesis that cognitive immaturity may serve an adaptive purpose for children at a time in ontogeny when they are not capable of ensuring their own survival. Participants were presented pairs of scenarios of 3- and 9-year-old children expressing either immature or mature cognition. Participants were asked to select the child (immature vs. mature) which best reflected each of 11 different psychological traits that were ultimately grouped into 3 trait dimensions: cute,...
Show moreThis study examined the hypothesis that cognitive immaturity may serve an adaptive purpose for children at a time in ontogeny when they are not capable of ensuring their own survival. Participants were presented pairs of scenarios of 3- and 9-year-old children expressing either immature or mature cognition. Participants were asked to select the child (immature vs. mature) which best reflected each of 11 different psychological traits that were ultimately grouped into 3 trait dimensions: cute, deceptive, and smart. Participants received one of 6 pairs of scenarios reflecting examples of either intuitive cognition or nonintuitive cognition. Participants selected the immature child as being more cute and less deceptive than the mature child for the intuitive vignettes, but not for the nonintuitive vignettes. This pattern suggests that some forms of immature cognition do indeed bias adults to feel more favorably toward the children who express them and may foster positive parent-child relationship.
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Date Issued: 2006
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13387
Subject Headings: Developmental psychobiology, Developmental neurobiology, Child development--Research, Cognition in children, Individual differences in children, Parent and child
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Keeping an eye on cheaters: cognitive and social determinates of successful deontic reasoning in preschool children.
Creator: Sellers, Patrick D. II, Bjorklund, David F., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Deontic reasoning is a domain of reasoning concerning permissions, obligations, and prohibitions founded on conditional logic (Wason,1968). The inclusion of a social valence to deontic rules leads to increased rule violation identification in both adults (Cosmides & Tooby, 1992) and children (Harris & Nunez, 1996), suggesting an evolutionary advantage for a specific class of reasoning known as “cheater-detection” (Fiddick, 2004). The current investigation is the first attempt to understand...
Show moreDeontic reasoning is a domain of reasoning concerning permissions, obligations, and prohibitions founded on conditional logic (Wason,1968). The inclusion of a social valence to deontic rules leads to increased rule violation identification in both adults (Cosmides & Tooby, 1992) and children (Harris & Nunez, 1996), suggesting an evolutionary advantage for a specific class of reasoning known as “cheater-detection” (Fiddick, 2004). The current investigation is the first attempt to understand the cognitive and social variables that account for children’s logical reasoning advantage in social violation situations.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004464
Subject Headings: Cognitive neuroscience, Cognitive psychology, Deontic logic, Developmental psychology, Judgment (Ethics), Judgment in children, Moral development, Moral motivation, Practical reason, Reasoning in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The nature of elementary students' science discourse and conceptual learning.
Creator: Parks, Melissa Y., College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
Abstract/Description: This qualitative study examined the nature of 5th-grade students' oral and written discourse in relation to their conceptual learning during six science inquiry-based lessons. Qualitative data were collected using small group observations, transcriptions of small group discourse, students' science notebooks, and student interviews. These data were used to create an in-depth illustration of 5th-grade students' discourse and the impact of that discourse on their science conceptual learning....
Show moreThis qualitative study examined the nature of 5th-grade students' oral and written discourse in relation to their conceptual learning during six science inquiry-based lessons. Qualitative data were collected using small group observations, transcriptions of small group discourse, students' science notebooks, and student interviews. These data were used to create an in-depth illustration of 5th-grade students' discourse and the impact of that discourse on their science conceptual learning. Findings indicated students spoke in three main discourse classifications during small group inquiries and two of these discourses were also present in the science notebook entries. Findings further indicated gender did not impact the nature of students' oral or written discourse regarding their conceptual learning. Implications for classroom practice and suggestions for further research in elementary science education are offered.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3318675
Subject Headings: Science, Study and teaching (Elementary), Learning, Psychology of, Cognition in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Language production and comprehension in bilingual children.
Creator: Ribot, Krystal M., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Many adults who have dual language experience describe themselves as "passive bilinguals," able to understand two languages, but speak only one. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between language production and comprehension in bilingual children in order to determine whether bilingual comprehension is more readily achieved than production. ... Productive and receptive skills in both languages were assessed using standardized tests. Children's relative amount of exposure to...
Show moreMany adults who have dual language experience describe themselves as "passive bilinguals," able to understand two languages, but speak only one. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between language production and comprehension in bilingual children in order to determine whether bilingual comprehension is more readily achieved than production. ... Productive and receptive skills in both languages were assessed using standardized tests. Children's relative amount of exposure to each language, as well as their language choice during production was measured via interview with the primary caregiver.... Language exposure as measured via dominance in one language over another appears to affect productive language differently than receptive language, further evidencing that language exposure is a significant predictor of acquisition that predicts production and comprehension differently. Additionally, when input is held constant, child language choice is uniquely related to productive and receptive language skill. The results of this study not only describe patterns of productive and receptive language skills and their correlates in young bilinguals, but they also address competing theories regarding the roles of input and output in the development of language comprehension and production.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3358962
Subject Headings: Bilingualism in children, Second language acquisition, Cognitive learning, Language transfer (Language learning)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Teaching students with learning disabilities to solve word-problems: A comparison of a cognitive strategy and a traditional textbook method.
Creator: Lambert, Monica Ann., Florida Atlantic University, Taylor, Ronald L.
Abstract/Description: The current emphasis in mathematics curricula is placed on mathematical applications to real-life word-problem solving. Therefore, it is critical that all secondary students receive instruction in problem solving. Although many mathematics textbooks provide steps for students to follow when solving word-problems they do not meet the needs of all students, especially those with learning disabilities (LD). Students with LD lack knowledge in cognitive and metacognitive strategies, although they...
Show moreThe current emphasis in mathematics curricula is placed on mathematical applications to real-life word-problem solving. Therefore, it is critical that all secondary students receive instruction in problem solving. Although many mathematics textbooks provide steps for students to follow when solving word-problems they do not meet the needs of all students, especially those with learning disabilities (LD). Students with LD lack knowledge in cognitive and metacognitive strategies, although they are able to use these strategies when taught. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a cognitive problem solving strategy and a traditional textbook method in solving three-step word-problems consisting of whole numbers, decimals, fractions, and percents. Four teachers who taught two Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) math classes volunteered to participate in the study. Each teacher taught one of his/her math classes the cognitive strategy and the other class the textbook method. A total of 76 students from grades 9 through 12 who attended a part-time SLD math class were used as subjects. The two groups were taught through direct instruction with scripted lessons. The cognitive strategy group was taught an eight-step strategy that included self-talking and self-questioning. The textbook method group was taught a traditional textbook method which consisted of a four-step plan. Treatment for both groups included a pretest, describing and modeling the strategy or method, verbally rehearsing the cognitive strategy or textbook method, practice solving word-problems, and a posttest of the three-step word-problems. The results indicated that there were no significant differences between the cognitive strategy and textbook method. However, the observed power was not sufficient to determine if there was or was not a treatment effect. Informal error analyses indicated subjects did perform better after direct instruction in solving word-problems. Although subjects were attempting to solve more problems, however, other types of errors were being made, such as choosing and using the wrong operation. This indicates students may need to be taught a strategy on how to choose the correct operation to solve word-problems.
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Date Issued: 1996
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12470
Subject Headings: Learning disabled--Education--Mathematics, Learning disabilities, Mathematics--Study and teaching (Secondary), 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: 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: 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: The development of jealousy.
Creator: Blau, Alexis K., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Jealousy is a response to a situation in which a person feels a combination of different emotions, such as love, anger, sadness and fear when an affectionate interaction is happening between a loved one and someone else. This paper discusses the definition and onset of infant jealousy, the physiological basis of jealousy, whether maternal factors play a role, as well as studies on jealousy and EEG patterns. It has been argued that infants, as young as six-months-old display jealous-like...
Show moreJealousy is a response to a situation in which a person feels a combination of different emotions, such as love, anger, sadness and fear when an affectionate interaction is happening between a loved one and someone else. This paper discusses the definition and onset of infant jealousy, the physiological basis of jealousy, whether maternal factors play a role, as well as studies on jealousy and EEG patterns. It has been argued that infants, as young as six-months-old display jealous-like behaviors. During jealousy evocation conditions, infants demonstrate negative emotions such as protesting or crying, diminished distancing, and heightened gaze toward their mother during maternal inattention. Approach/withdrawal behaviors and electroencephalography (EEG) activation were studied in the context of an infant jealousy paradigm. In this investigation, 45 mother-infants dyads were exposed to a social versus non-social condition during maternal inattention. During the social condition, infants demonstrated increased approach-style gaze and reach and negative affect. EEG was collected during all conditions on a subsample of 15 infants and in agreement with adult jealousy literature (Harmon-Jones, Peterson, & Harris, 2009), infants displayed left midfrontal EEG asymmetry, and displayed more approach motivations during the social doll condition indicative of jealousy approach motivations.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2953203
Subject Headings: Jealousy, Psychological aspects, Emotions and cognition, Parent and infant, Behavioral assessment of infants, Social perception in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Verb acquisition and generalization strategies of preschool children.
Creator: Pruzansky, Rita, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: This experiment tested 3 to 5-year-old children's (n=18) abilities to learn a novel verb in the context of one or two novel objects. We showed the children claymation videos of novel creatures performing two novel actions. They were then tested on whether they could correctly identify the action that a creature was performing in the form of a 'yes' or 'no' response. Children in the blocked condition, who learned the verbs in the context of one creature, responded correctly more often (p=.01)...
Show moreThis experiment tested 3 to 5-year-old children's (n=18) abilities to learn a novel verb in the context of one or two novel objects. We showed the children claymation videos of novel creatures performing two novel actions. They were then tested on whether they could correctly identify the action that a creature was performing in the form of a 'yes' or 'no' response. Children in the blocked condition, who learned the verbs in the context of one creature, responded correctly more often (p=.01) than children in the grouped condition, who learned the verbs in the context of two creatures. Results were similar when tested again one week later. These findings suggest that when teaching young children verbs, it may be more effective to first teach in the context of one object so that the children have a more confident understanding of the verb meaning.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359311, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT3359311
Subject Headings: Language acquisition, Age factors, Child development, Language awareness in children, Psycholinguistics, Language arts (Early childhood), Cognitive grammar
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Antecedents and Outcomes of Language Choice in Bilingual Toddlers: A Longitudinal Study.
Creator: Ribot, Krystal M., Hoff, Erika, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Bilingual children sometimes respond to their interlocutors using a different language than the one in which they were addressed. These language choices, their concurrent correlates, and relations to subsequent language growth were examined in 91 Spanish-English bilingual children (44 girls, 47 boys). Children's language choices were assessed at 30 months, and their English and Spanish productive vocabularies and receptive language skills were examined at the ages of 30, 36, and 42 months....
Show moreBilingual children sometimes respond to their interlocutors using a different language than the one in which they were addressed. These language choices, their concurrent correlates, and relations to subsequent language growth were examined in 91 Spanish-English bilingual children (44 girls, 47 boys). Children's language choices were assessed at 30 months, and their English and Spanish productive vocabularies and receptive language skills were examined at the ages of 30, 36, and 42 months. Children's language choices were concurrently related to English and Spanish productive and receptive language scores and to mothers' English and Spanish proficiency levels. Longitudinal multi-level modeling analyses indicated that children's language choices at 30 months were uniquely related to language growth on measures of English and Spanish productive vocabulary and Spanish receptive language, when controlling for language expo sure. These findings suggest that language use plays a causal role in language development. The findings of this study have implications for the maintenance of heritage languages in the U.S. and for the development of children's English language skills.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004540, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004540
Subject Headings: Bilingualism in children, Code switching (Lingustics), Cognitive learning, Language acquisition -- Parent participation, Language transfer (Language learning), Second language acquisition, Verbal ability in children -- Testing
Format: Document (PDF)

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