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Title: What’s Your Point?: An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Infants’ Deictic Communicative Behaviors And Interactional Qualities During Free Play With Their Mothers.
Creator: Hammack, Jacqueline, Wilcox, Teresa, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Infants communicate with their caregivers in a variety of ways – even before the onset of verbal language. One of the strategies infants employ is the use of deictic gestures (i.e., index points, showing, giving) to engage in communication about external referents with their partners. Previous associations have been identified that reveal relationships between infant deictic gesturing behaviors and maternal gesturing, however the number of studies that assess maternal interactive qualities...
Show moreInfants communicate with their caregivers in a variety of ways – even before the onset of verbal language. One of the strategies infants employ is the use of deictic gestures (i.e., index points, showing, giving) to engage in communication about external referents with their partners. Previous associations have been identified that reveal relationships between infant deictic gesturing behaviors and maternal gesturing, however the number of studies that assess maternal interactive qualities simultaneously with these gesturing behaviors is minimal. In the current study, manual data annotation was employed to explore the relationships between infant deictic gesturing frequencies, maternal deictic gesturing frequencies, global maternal behaviors (sensitivity and intrusiveness) and dyadic characteristics. Infants between the ages of 12-months and 24-months (N = 61) and their mothers participated in free-play recorded via online videoconferencing. Frequencies of initiative deictic gestures were calculated. Dyads were classified as having a “pointer” or “non-pointer” infant and mother, respectively. Several significant associations were identified, including a negative association between maternal sensitivity and maternal giving (p = .009) and a positive association between maternal sensitivity and infant index finger pointing (p = .030).
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Date Issued: 2024
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014509
Subject Headings: Mother and infant, Pointing (Gesture), Deictic gestures, Developmental psychology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Gender Stereotypes and Gender Identity as Interacting Influences on Children's Self-Concepts: A Self-Socialization Model of Gender Development.
Creator: Tobin, Desiree Denise, Florida Atlantic University, Perry, David G., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: The goal of this study was to test the gender self-socialization model (GSSM). This model suggests that gender identity motivates children to strive for cognitive consistency between their gender stereotypes and their self-efficacy for those stereotypes. This study presents a novel approach to stereotype assessment by focusing on children's idiosyncratic stereotypes (as opposed to number of commonly shared stereotypes, which do not provide detailed information about the types of stereotypes...
Show moreThe goal of this study was to test the gender self-socialization model (GSSM). This model suggests that gender identity motivates children to strive for cognitive consistency between their gender stereotypes and their self-efficacy for those stereotypes. This study presents a novel approach to stereotype assessment by focusing on children's idiosyncratic stereotypes (as opposed to number of commonly shared stereotypes, which do not provide detailed information about the types of stereotypes individual children hold). Participants were 305 children in grades three through eight (Mage = 10.8 years). Independent variables included children's stereotypes of 62 contextually tagged behaviors and gender identity (comprising five dimensions). Interactive influences of children's stereotypes and gender identity on self-efficacy were investigated. As expected, stereotypes and gender identity worked together to predict children's self-efficacy perception for the 62 behaviors. These findings suggest that the role of gender identity is important in the adoption of personally held gender stereotypes.
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Date Issued: 2007
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000881
Subject Headings: Psychology, Social, Psychology, Developmental, Self in children, Self--Social aspects, Identity (Psychology), Social interaction
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Choosing and using tools: type of prior experience and task difficulty influence preschoolers' choices and actions.
Creator: Gardiner, Amy K., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Two and 3 year-old children's understanding of tool affordances was investigated by measuring their tool choice decisions and tool use behaviors. Children attempted six toy retrieval tasks of three different levels of structural complexity. Children were assigned to one of four conditions in which exposure to task materials varied according to the way in which the information was presented: no experience / no observation, experience only, observation only, and experience and observation....
Show moreTwo and 3 year-old children's understanding of tool affordances was investigated by measuring their tool choice decisions and tool use behaviors. Children attempted six toy retrieval tasks of three different levels of structural complexity. Children were assigned to one of four conditions in which exposure to task materials varied according to the way in which the information was presented: no experience / no observation, experience only, observation only, and experience and observation. Three year- olds consistently made more correct choices and used more working tools successfully than 2-year-olds. Tool choice was affected primarily by task difficulty and age. Tool use was influenced by task difficulty, order of task difficulty, age, and condition. The observation condition was most beneficial to children, while experience was least helpful, particularly for tasks at the hard level of difficulty.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/165940
Subject Headings: Learning, Psychology of, Developmental psychology, Educational tests and measurements, Constructivism (Education)
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: Preschoolers' use of intentionality in understanding causal structure of objects during imitation learning.
Creator: Gardiner, Amy K., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Object use is a ubiquitous characteristic of the human species, and learning how objects function is a fundamental part of human development. This research examines the role that intentionality plays in children's understanding of causal relationships during imitation learning of object use. In Studies 1, 2, and 3, 2- to 5-year-olds observed demonstrations in which causally irrelevant and causally relevant actions were performed to achieve a desired goal of retrieving toys from within...
Show moreObject use is a ubiquitous characteristic of the human species, and learning how objects function is a fundamental part of human development. This research examines the role that intentionality plays in children's understanding of causal relationships during imitation learning of object use. In Studies 1, 2, and 3, 2- to 5-year-olds observed demonstrations in which causally irrelevant and causally relevant actions were performed to achieve a desired goal of retrieving toys from within containers. Irrelevant actions were performed either intentionally ("There!") or accidentally ("Whoops! I didn't mean to do that!"). Study 1 found that 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds, but not 2-year-olds, were less likely to imitate causally irrelevant actions performed accidentally than those performed intentionally. This suggests that older children used intentionality to guide causal inference, perceiving intentional actions as causally effective and accidental actions as causally ineffective. Study 2 foun d that the intentionality of the demonstrator's actions had an enduring effect - after watching a single demonstration, children persisted in performing intentional irrelevant actions and continued to ignore accidental irrelevant actions when given three successive opportunities to complete the task. Study 3 examined how lack of knowledge about the task goal prior to the demonstrations affected imitation and found that children without explicit verbal instruction of the toy-retrieval goal imitated irrelevant actions to a greater degree than children from Study 1, who were informed of the goal throughout the experiment. Study 4 progressed beyond irrelevant actions to investigate the effect of intentionality on 3- to 5-year-olds' imitation of relevant actions., Inconsistency was created between the intentionality with which relevant actions were demonstrated and the causal necessity of these actions for the child's turn. Relevancy emerged as the paramount factor in study 4 - regardless of the intentionality with which relevant actions were demonstrated, children imitated these actions if they remained relevant and largely ignored them if they were rendered irrelevant. Findings are placed within a pedagogical framework and discussed from an evolutionary perspective in relation to the cultural transmission of tool-use knowledge.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3183126
Subject Headings: Learning, Psychology of, Developmental psychology, Educational tests and measurements, Constructivism (Education)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effectiveness of a violence prevention program used as a nursing intervention tool on agression among children in pre-kindergarten.
Creator: Stephenson, Carol W., Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Abstract/Description: Childhood aggression has captured media attention over recent years. Aggression and violence have permeated schools and affected many communities. There are policies and programs in place for young adults, teens and children in some high schools and elementary schools, but not in preschools or daycare centers. However, intervention programs need to be introduced at the preschool level. There is also a scarcity of nursing research on aggression among preschoolers and successful early...
Show moreChildhood aggression has captured media attention over recent years. Aggression and violence have permeated schools and affected many communities. There are policies and programs in place for young adults, teens and children in some high schools and elementary schools, but not in preschools or daycare centers. However, intervention programs need to be introduced at the preschool level. There is also a scarcity of nursing research on aggression among preschoolers and successful early intervention anti-aggression programs. This study evaluated the Second Stepª anti-aggression program, utilized as a nursing intervention tool, among 41 preschool children aged 3, 4, and 5 years of age. The 3-month long research study was based on King's 1981 general systems theory, which is classified as an interaction model. The research design was a randomized pre-test post-test, 2-group (control and experimental) experimental one, to test the hypothesis that children's aggression scores would be lower and their prosocial scores would be higher after the intervention program. It was also hypothesized that boys would have higher aggression scores than girls and that there would be differences in post aggression scores in the treatment group. Repeated measures ANOVA showed that there were no significant differences between the make-up of each group (p = .05). There was no statistically significant difference between pre- and post-test aggression scores (p = .14) or between genders (p = .13), with the exception that the preschool girls in both groups had slightly higher relational aggression scores than boys, pre- and post-test. The differences were statistically significant at p = <.05. The post-test relational aggression scores were not lower in either group. These findings are discussed in this paper.
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Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/186766
Subject Headings: Violence in children, Children and violence, Community health nursing, Developmental psychology, Attribution (Social psychology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The influence of parenting practices on ethnic identity and social and academic outcomes.
Creator: Williams, Vickie Annette, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: The present study examined the relation between parenting practices and adolescent ethnic identity, behavior problems, and academic achievement. Four hundred and sixty-nine adolescents completed questionnaires assessing perceptions of parenting, ethnic identity, and social adjustment. Grades and achievement scores were obtained from participating schools. The study addressed four aims: (1) Examine the relation between parenting practices and adolescent outcomes; (2) Examine the relation...
Show moreThe present study examined the relation between parenting practices and adolescent ethnic identity, behavior problems, and academic achievement. Four hundred and sixty-nine adolescents completed questionnaires assessing perceptions of parenting, ethnic identity, and social adjustment. Grades and achievement scores were obtained from participating schools. The study addressed four aims: (1) Examine the relation between parenting practices and adolescent outcomes; (2) Examine the relation between parenting practices and ethnic identity; (3) Examine the relation between ethnic identity and adolescent outcomes; and (4) Explore whether these associations vary across ethnic groups. It was hypothesized that parenting practices would influence adolescent outcomes similarly regardless of ethnicity. Specifically, it was hypothesized that parental involvement, autonomy granting, and strictness/supervision would be associated with fewer behavior problems and higher school grades for African Americans, Anglo Americans, and Cuban Americans. Additionally, it was expected that parental strictness/supervision, autonomy granting, and involvement would predict ethnic identity for African Americans and Cuban Americans, but not Anglo Americans. Finally, it was expected that ethnic identity would be associated with outcomes for African Americans and Cuban Americans, but not Anglo Americans. The findings revealed that parenting practices were associated with adolescent outcomes for African Americans, Anglo Americans, and Cuban Americans. For African Americans, strict parenting was negatively related to behavior problems, but unrelated to academic achievement. Parental autonomy granting was negatively related to behavior problems. For Anglo Americans and Cuban Americans, parental strictness/supervision, autonomy granting, and involvement were negatively related to behavior problems. Parental autonomy granting and strictness/supervision were positively related to academic achievement for Anglo Americans, but unrelated to academic achievement among Cuban Americans. Parenting practices predicted ethnic identity for Cuban Americans, but not African Americans or Anglo Americans. Ethnic identity was related to behavior problems for African Americans, but it was unrelated to Cuban American and Anglo American adolescent outcomes. The findings from this study provide insight into the unique contribution of parenting practices and ethnic identity to adolescent behavior problems and academic achievement. As expected, parenting practices were associated with adolescent outcomes, and similarities rather than differences characterized these associations in the three ethnic groups. Ethnic identity was related to adolescent outcomes with variations as a function of ethnicity. A central focus of this study was to distinguish parenting practices from parenting styles. This distinction is key when attempting to identify specific parental behaviors that contribute to adolescent adaptation. Changing demographics underscore the need for continued study of how parenting practices and ethnic identity influence adaptation among adolescents from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
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Date Issued: 1999
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12605
Subject Headings: Psychology, Social, Psychology, Developmental, Sociology, Individual and Family Studies, Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Emotional and Behavioral Effects within the Triadic Family System: Actor-Partner Interdependence between Parents and Preschoolers.
Creator: Montena, Alexandra L., Jones, Nancy Aaron, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: The purpose of the current study is to examine emotional and behavioral interdependence within the triadic family system. Interdependence was assessed over time between 17 participant groups of mothers, fathers and preschoolers. Responses of each parent and preschooler were observed during story recitations that were chosen to elicit positive or negative responses; observations included measures of attention, external affect, and affective congruency. Parental self-report ratings of...
Show moreThe purpose of the current study is to examine emotional and behavioral interdependence within the triadic family system. Interdependence was assessed over time between 17 participant groups of mothers, fathers and preschoolers. Responses of each parent and preschooler were observed during story recitations that were chosen to elicit positive or negative responses; observations included measures of attention, external affect, and affective congruency. Parental self-report ratings of expressivity, negative emotions, and child temperament were compared to observations during story recitations, as well. Some father-child interactions appeared to be affected by story condition. However, parent gender had little effect on parent-child interactions overall in regards to child consistency. The findings suggest that children drive the interactions more so than parents. Further research with a larger sample size is needed to fully examine the emotional and behavioral interdependence between parents and preschoolers.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004912, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004912
Subject Headings: Parent and child., Child rearing., Attachment behavior., Developmental psychology., Education, Preschool--Parent participation., Personality assessment.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Effects of an 8-Week Zumba® Program for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Creator: Joseph, Brianna M., Wilson, Cynthia L., Duffy, Mary Louise, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Exceptional Student Education
Abstract/Description: In this study, physiological and psychological outcomes of an 8-week moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise program (Zumba®) for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) were examined. Forty-six participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 24) or control group (n = 22). The experimental group participated in Zumba® for 8 weeks, 3 days per week, along with completing exercise rating scales and fitness tests. Outcome measures included agility, endurance...
Show moreIn this study, physiological and psychological outcomes of an 8-week moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise program (Zumba®) for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) were examined. Forty-six participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 24) or control group (n = 22). The experimental group participated in Zumba® for 8 weeks, 3 days per week, along with completing exercise rating scales and fitness tests. Outcome measures included agility, endurance, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), exercise motivation, and exercise self-efficacy. Agility, endurance, and RPE were measured by three fitness tests; Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), and Modified Borg Dyspnoea (MBD). Physiological outcomes were measured before the intervention (pretest), 4 weeks during the intervention, and after the intervention (posttest). The experimental group completed a follow-up of all three fitness tests 2 weeks after the removal of the intervention. A paired t test assessed the continuous measures within each group.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013142
Subject Headings: People with mental disabilities, Developmentally disabled, Aerobic exercises--Physiological aspects, Aerobic exercises--Psychological aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Using emotion-inducing film clips to measure emotional coordination.
Creator: Leong-Kee, Maureen Jane., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Synchronization research reveals that those who are able to coordinate behavior in time are more likely to feel positively towards one another. Unlike previous research that has taken a linear approach, I examine the dynamical nature of individuals' emotional coordination by investigating the overlap in their moment-to-moment emotional responses to positive and negative events in the form of film clips. By using the mouse program, I develop a new relationship paradigm and find that this...
Show moreSynchronization research reveals that those who are able to coordinate behavior in time are more likely to feel positively towards one another. Unlike previous research that has taken a linear approach, I examine the dynamical nature of individuals' emotional coordination by investigating the overlap in their moment-to-moment emotional responses to positive and negative events in the form of film clips. By using the mouse program, I develop a new relationship paradigm and find that this measure is able to capture the nuances of emotional responses, and, more importantly, it is able to distinguish between relationship partners versus pairs of strangers. However, I am unable to determine that emotional coordination, as determined by smaller differences in mouse program data between partners, is related to relationship quality, as measured by their level of liking and loving (for romantic partners only) towards each other and their future expectancy of the relationship.
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Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/367766
Subject Headings: Nonverbal communication, Interpersonal relations, Developmental psychology, Cognitive science, Sensitivity (Personal trait)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The development of mother-infant communication through touch and gaze patterns in depressed and non-depressed breast-and bottle-feeding dyads.
Creator: Sader, Jillian., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: The present study examined developmental changes in the establishment of mother-infant tactile and visual communication within depressed and non-depressed breast- and bottlefeeding dyads. 113 (30 depressed, 83 non-depressed mothers) mother-infant dyads participated at the 1-month visit and 87 dyads returned at the 3-month lab visit. Maternal mood status was assessed. EEG recordings were taken from the infants at mid-frontal, central, parietal and occipital sites. Mothers and their infants...
Show moreThe present study examined developmental changes in the establishment of mother-infant tactile and visual communication within depressed and non-depressed breast- and bottlefeeding dyads. 113 (30 depressed, 83 non-depressed mothers) mother-infant dyads participated at the 1-month visit and 87 dyads returned at the 3-month lab visit. Maternal mood status was assessed. EEG recordings were taken from the infants at mid-frontal, central, parietal and occipital sites. Mothers and their infants were videotaped during a 5- minute feeding. The feeding session was coded for touch and gaze, utilizing coding scales similar to those of Polan and Ward (1994) and Moszkowski and Stack (2007). Infant self-touch significantly predicted infant EEG asymmetry scores. Non-depressed and depressed breast-feeding mothers displayed more affectionate touch while depressed bottle-feeding mothers displayed an absence of touch.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3172700
Subject Headings: Pediatric neuropsychology, Child development, Parent and child, Interpersonal communication, Developmental psychology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effects of predatory status on developing understanding of mental state functioning subsequent to death.
Creator: Cormier, Christopher A., Bjorklund, David F., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Bering and colleagues (2004, 2005) reported that the expectation that conscious mental states cease with the onset of death (discontinuity reasoning) emerges developmentally, and discontinuity reasoning for some states (emotions, desire, epistemic) remains lower than for others (psychobiological, perceptual). Cormier (2005) reported very similar findings for the context of sleep and proposed a modular explanation of these effects (“intentional persistence”) and suggested that intentional...
Show moreBering and colleagues (2004, 2005) reported that the expectation that conscious mental states cease with the onset of death (discontinuity reasoning) emerges developmentally, and discontinuity reasoning for some states (emotions, desire, epistemic) remains lower than for others (psychobiological, perceptual). Cormier (2005) reported very similar findings for the context of sleep and proposed a modular explanation of these effects (“intentional persistence”) and suggested that intentional persistence represents an evolved adaptation designed to maintain vigilance and behavioral preparedness while in the presence of animals of ambiguous agency status (e.g., death, sleep, hibernation, feigned death). The current study extended this line of research to realistic animal characters. Although results revealed patterns of discontinuity reasoning and intentional persistence that were consistent with those of previous studies, the prediction that intentional persistence would be more pronounced for predators was not fulfilled. A newly proposed evolutionary product, “Cooptation,” was introduced to further explain the results.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004094
Subject Headings: Cognitive neuroscience, Developmental psychology, Mental representation, Philosophy of mind, Thought and thinking
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: Theoretical and experimental studies of multisensory integration as a coupled dynamical system.
Creator: Assisi, Collins G., Florida Atlantic University, Kelso, J. A. Scott, Jirsa, Viktor K.
Abstract/Description: Perception and behavior are mediated by a widely distributed network of brain areas. Our main concern is, how do the components of the network interact in order to give us a variety of complex coordinated behavior? We first define the nodes of the network, termed functional units, as a strongly coupled ensemble of non-identical neurons and demonstrate that the dynamics of such an ensemble may be approximated by a low dimensional set of equations. The dynamics is studied in two different...
Show morePerception and behavior are mediated by a widely distributed network of brain areas. Our main concern is, how do the components of the network interact in order to give us a variety of complex coordinated behavior? We first define the nodes of the network, termed functional units, as a strongly coupled ensemble of non-identical neurons and demonstrate that the dynamics of such an ensemble may be approximated by a low dimensional set of equations. The dynamics is studied in two different contexts, sensorimotor coordination and multisensory integration. First, we treat movement coupled to the environment as a driven functional unit. Our central hypothesis is that this coupling must be minimally parametric. We demonstrate the experimental validity of this hypothesis and propose a theoretical model that explains the results of our experiment. A second example of the dynamics of functional units is evident in the domain of multisensory integration. We employ a novel rhythmic multisensory paradigm designed to capture the temporal features of multisensory integration parametrically. The relevant parameters of our experiment are the inter-onset interval between pairs of rhythmically presented stimuli and the frequency of presentation. We partition the two dimensional parameter space using subjects perception of the stimulus sequence. The general features of the partitioning are modality independent suggesting that these features depend on the coupling between the unisensory subsystems. We develop a model with coupled functional units and suggest a candidate coupling scheme. In subsequent chapters we probe the neural correlates of multisensory integration using fMRI and EEG. The results of our fMRI experiment demonstrate that multisensory integration is mediated by a network consisting of primary sensory areas, inferior parietal lobule, prefrontal areas and the posterior midbrain. Different percepts lead to the recruitment of different areas and their disengagement for other percepts. In analyzing the EEG data, we first develop a mathematical framework that allows us to differentiate between sources activated for both unisensory and multisensory stimulation from those sources activated only for multisensory stimulation. Using this methodology we show that the influences of multisensory processing may be seen at an early (40--60 ms) stage of sensory processing.
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Date Issued: 2005
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12167
Subject Headings: Intersensory effects, Perceptual-motor processes, Sensorimotor integration, Psychology, Comparative, Developmental neurobiology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: PARENTING AND PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP QUALITY AS PREDICTORS OF FRIENDSHIP DISSOLUTION IN LATE CHILDHOOD AND EARLY ADOLESCENCE.
Creator: Yoho, Michael, Laursen, Brett, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Friendships convey developmental advantages. Adolescents without friends suffer from a host of difficulties. Much more is known about which friendships are likely to be stable over time, than about maternal contributions to friendship stability. To this end, the current study examines characteristics of mother-child relationship quality (i.e., child reported social support, negativity and relationship importance) and maternal parenting practices (i.e., child-reported behavioral control and...
Show moreFriendships convey developmental advantages. Adolescents without friends suffer from a host of difficulties. Much more is known about which friendships are likely to be stable over time, than about maternal contributions to friendship stability. To this end, the current study examines characteristics of mother-child relationship quality (i.e., child reported social support, negativity and relationship importance) and maternal parenting practices (i.e., child-reported behavioral control and psychological control) that predict the dissolution of children’s friendships in a sample of primary school (ages 10 to 11) and middle school (ages 11 to 14) students attending seven public schools in Lithuania. A total of 574 participants (290 female, 284 male) completed identical surveys at six time points across two consecutive school years. Peer nominations provided an index of peer status (i.e., acceptance or liking and rejection or disliking), which were also included as predictors in order to control the contribution of peer status. Friendships were defined as dyads in which both partners nominated each other as friends. Dissolved Friendships were defined as dyads that were reciprocated at Time 1 but one or both partners failed to nominate the other as a friend as a subsequent time point. Discrete time survival analyses were conducted to predict friendship dissolution from maternal parenting practices variables, mother-child relationship quality variables, peer status variables, and demographic variables (sex, dyad sex, nutrition, household structure, relationship rank). Two sets of analyses were conducted. The individual model explored the degree to which individual scores on each variable predicted friendship dissolution. The dyadic model the degree to which dyadic differences (i.e., the absolute difference between friend scores) on each variable predicted friendship dissolution.
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Date Issued: 2024
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014384
Subject Headings: Parent-child relationship, Friendship, Mother and child, Adolescents, Developmental psychology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Breastfeeding and kangaroo care: biobehavioral measures of dyadic bonding, infant cortical maturation, and infant HPA reactivity.
Creator: Hardin, Jillian, Jones, Nancy Aaron, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: The current study examined the effects of kangaroo care on breastfeeding practices, infant stress reactivity, and biobehavioral measures of mother-infant bonding across the first 3 months postpartum. Additionally, the role of breastfeeding in infant cortical maturation in the frontal lobe was examined. Thirty two mother-infant dyads participated in the current study; 16 mother-infant dyads were randomly assigned to the kangaroo care group and 17 mother-infant dyads were assigned to the...
Show moreThe current study examined the effects of kangaroo care on breastfeeding practices, infant stress reactivity, and biobehavioral measures of mother-infant bonding across the first 3 months postpartum. Additionally, the role of breastfeeding in infant cortical maturation in the frontal lobe was examined. Thirty two mother-infant dyads participated in the current study; 16 mother-infant dyads were randomly assigned to the kangaroo care group and 17 mother-infant dyads were assigned to the control group. Mothers in the kangaroo care group received training on proper kangaroo care procedures by a trained administrator during the first 1-2 weeks postpartum. Mothers in the kangaroo care group were asked to use the kangaroo care procedure for 1 hour per day for 6 weeks. Maternal perceptions of fetal attachment, mood, feeding intentions, and urinary oxytocin measurements were assessed prenatally. At a newborn visit, infant neurobehavioral functioning and urinary oxytocin measurements were assessed. Maternal mood and feeding practices were also assessed at the newborn visit. At 3 months postpartum, mother-infant dyads were assessed on urinary oxytocin measurements. Mother-infant dyads were recorded during a play session and feeding session. Infant baseline EEG recordings were taken over a 5 minute period. Infant cortisol measurements were collected from infant saliva before and after a mild behavioral stressor, an infant arm restraint procedure. Maternal perceptions of postpartum bonding, mood, infant temperament, and feeding practices were also assessed. Results indicate that kangaroo care produced medium to large effects on cortisol reactivity, dyadic bonding, and breastfeeding practices if kangaroo care was practiced for the recommended amount of time. Kangaroo care produced medium to large effects on oxytocin levels in motherinfant dyads regardless of use. Cortical measures of infant frontal activity indicated that all infants in the samples displayed functional maturity of the frontal lobe. Kangaroo care can be used a viable, low-cost tactile procedure that can be implemented after birth to aid in breastfeeding practices, mother-infant bonding, and lower infant stress reactivity. Infants in the study who received at least one breastfeeding session displayed advanced patterns of frontal activation. Further study is needed to determine if peripheral oxytocin measurements are 1) reliable and 2) are indicative of dyadic bonding behaviors.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004119, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004119
Subject Headings: Animal behavior, Attachment behavior in children, Breastfeeding -- Psychological aspects, Developmental psychobiology, Mother and infant -- Psychological aspects, Nature and nurture
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Emotional and physiological regulation during parent-child interaction in preschoolers.
Creator: Marsh, Kathryn L., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: The purpose of the current study is to examine physiological and behavioral components of emotional regulation and the development of empathy in preschoolers. It also examines how the parents play a role in their child's development of emotional competence. Behavioral and physiological responses were assessed for the children during stories chosen for emotional content (one happy and one sad story for each parent). Maternal and paternal ratings of self-expressivity were collected using the...
Show moreThe purpose of the current study is to examine physiological and behavioral components of emotional regulation and the development of empathy in preschoolers. It also examines how the parents play a role in their child's development of emotional competence. Behavioral and physiological responses were assessed for the children during stories chosen for emotional content (one happy and one sad story for each parent). Maternal and paternal ratings of self-expressivity were collected using the Self- Expressiveness in Family Questionnaire (Halberstadt et al., 1995). Greater vagal suppression occurred during the sad conditions suggesting that negative emotions require more processing strategies. Greater attentional scores were related to the child's RSA and higher resting RSA was associated with great motor restriction. The mothers had higher SEFQ scores than the fathers. Higher maternal positive expressivity, lower maternal total expressivity, and lower paternal positive expressivity scores were related to the children's displays of empathy.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362553
Subject Headings: Parent and child, Adjustment (Psychology) in children, Social interaction in children, Developmental psychology, Moral education (Early childhood)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: EEG in preschool children and the development of empathy.
Creator: Almeida, Amanda N., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Empathy has been shown to have many positive outcomes in individuals at every stage throughout life. It promotes sociability, helping behaviors, and can protect against the development of psychopathology. Evolutionary theorists have hypothesized that humans have a biological predisposition for empathic response. Temperament, as well as parental interaction with children, account for individual differences in empathic response levels. Much research has also looked at maternal depression as a...
Show moreEmpathy has been shown to have many positive outcomes in individuals at every stage throughout life. It promotes sociability, helping behaviors, and can protect against the development of psychopathology. Evolutionary theorists have hypothesized that humans have a biological predisposition for empathic response. Temperament, as well as parental interaction with children, account for individual differences in empathic response levels. Much research has also looked at maternal depression as a key factor in children's negative emotional responding. We used EEG to measure individual differences in children's empathic emotional responding, as well as parental interaction and its impact on empathy and prosocial development. Results show that children rated as being more sociable are more likely to show outward expressions of empathy. Also, those with greater right frontal asymmetry are more likely to assist others in a prosocial manner.
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Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/228771
Subject Headings: Emotions in children, Parent and child, Developmental psychology, Socialization, Psychological aspects, Child development, Helping behavior in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Kangaroo care with full-term infants: maternal behaviors and mother-infant bonding.
Creator: Pineda, Melannie, Jones, Nancy Aaron, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Kangaroo care (KC), has been shown to promote healthy development for both pre-term and full-term infants, and to improve mother-infant bonding (Ludington-Hoe, 2011; Charpak et al., 2005). Current research on the maternal benefits of kangaroo care is scarce, primarily focuses on early KC, and is mostly qualitative in nature (Fegran, Helseth, & Fagermoan, 2008; Matos et al., 2010). The present study examined the effect of late KC on maternal behaviors, sensitivity, and mother-infant...
Show moreKangaroo care (KC), has been shown to promote healthy development for both pre-term and full-term infants, and to improve mother-infant bonding (Ludington-Hoe, 2011; Charpak et al., 2005). Current research on the maternal benefits of kangaroo care is scarce, primarily focuses on early KC, and is mostly qualitative in nature (Fegran, Helseth, & Fagermoan, 2008; Matos et al., 2010). The present study examined the effect of late KC on maternal behaviors, sensitivity, and mother-infant interactive mutuality when infants were 3 months of age. Mothers who used kangaroo care as directed were found to have greater bonding scores and less anxiety about caring for their infants as measured through the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire. Kangaroo care was also found to have an effect on mothers’ ability to effectively calm their infants after an arm restraint task. Further research on the usefulness of late intermittent KC with full-term infants is needed.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004148, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004148
Subject Headings: Animal behavior, Attachment behavior, Developmental psychobiology, Infants (Newborn) -- Family relationships, Mother and infant -- Psychological aspects, Nature and nuture
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)

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