A short-term longitudinal study of preschoolers' (Homo sapiens) sex segregation: The role of physical activity, sex, and time.

The interactive influence of preschool children's level of physical activity, sex, and time on the degree of sex segregation was assessed. A sample of nursery school children was observed across much of a school year, and levels of physical activity and sex segregation were sampled during their free play periods. Following sexual selection theory, we predicted a Sex × Time × Physical Activity interaction on segregation such that high-activity girls early in the school year would interact with boys but, with time, the high-activity girls would be segregated among themselves. Boys (both high- and low-activity) should remain segregated across the year. The hypothesis was supported, and results are discussed in terms of the interactive role of biology and socialization on sex segregation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The development of preschool children's (Homo sapiens) uses of objects and their role in peer group centrality.

The ways in which objects were used by preschool children (Homo sapiens) was examined by directly observing them across one school year. In the first objective we documented the relative occurrence of different forms of object use and their developmental growth curves. Second, we examined the role of different types of object use, as well as novel and varied uses of objects, in predicting peer group centrality. Results indicated that noninstrumental object play was the most frequently observed category, followed by tool use, exploration, and construction; sex moderated the growth curve of children's exploration. Noninstrumental object play, not other types of object use, was significantly related to novel and varied object uses and only the latter category predicted peer group centrality. Results are discussed in terms of the social transmission of novel object use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The psychoeducational assessment of preschool children.

Reviews the book, The psychoeducational assessment of preschool children edited by Kathleen D. Paget and Bruce A. Bracken (1983). This is is a multidisciplinary text that covers a wide variety of components of preschool assessment. As indicated in the preface, the intent of the editors was to provide a comprehensive book that would reflect the diversity of professions involved with assessment of preschoolers. To achieve this purpose, Paget and Bracken compiled a text that is comprehensive in both breadth and depth. The ambitious range of topics includes history of preschool assessment, legal issues, and the assessment of special preschool groups, such as the mentally handicapped, physically handicapped, gifted, creative, and culturally different. In addition, the assessment of a wide variety of domains of functioning such as cognitive, perceptual-motor, fine and gross motor, and social-emotional, are addressed. The editors intended for the book to be used by advanced undergraduate and graduate students, as well as by current practitioners in such diverse areas of practice as psychology, education, social work, and medicine. We concur that the text offers new information for established practitioners and provides extensive background for those new to the field of assessment of preschool children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The context of preschool children's sleep: Racial/ethnic differences in sleep locations, routines, and concerns.

Cross-national research suggests cultural factors affect how parents manage and perceive their children's sleep. In the United States, however, it is unclear whether documented racial/ethnic differences in these aspects of children's sleep reflect culturally distinct parental values and practices or confounding sociodemographic factors. This study uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Well Being Study to examine potential racial/ethnic differences in how parents manage and perceive the sleep of their preschool children (n = 3,068), while controlling for potential sociodemographic (e.g., family structure), environmental (e.g., number of available bedrooms), and pragmatic (e.g., parental shift work) confounds. Results suggest racial/ethnic differences exist in where children sleep, how they are put to bed, and the level of concern mothers have about their child's sleep, beyond the effect of confounding factors. These differences may reflect distinct cultural values, as well as diverse goals for family and parent-child relationships. As our country becomes increasingly heterogeneous, it is important for developmental researchers and pediatric providers to understand the various ways diversity may be reflected in family life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex, ethnicity, and play preferences of preschool children.

"Preschool children of Oriental… and Caucasian… background were observed, using a time-sampling technique; and their choices of play companions were analyzed. Children in both ethnic groups were found to prefer play companions of their own sex, this tendency being more pronounced in boys than in girls." Ss tended to play with dolls resembling their own race. From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4FF83M. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A longitudinal study of conversations with parents about sex and dating during college.

Emerging adulthood is a time of sexual and romantic relationship development as well as change in the parent–child relationship. This study provides a longitudinal analysis of 30 young adults’ (17 women, 13 men) sexual experiences, attitudes about sexuality and dating, and reported conversations with parents about sexuality and dating from the 1st and 4th years of college. Self-report questionnaires revealed increases in general closeness with parents, increases in sexual and dating experiences, and more sexually permissive as well as more gender stereotyped attitudes. Qualitative analyses of individual interviews indicated a movement from unilateral and restrictive sex-based topics to more reciprocal and relationship-focused conversations over time. Gender analyses revealed that young women reported more restrictive sex messages and young men more positive sex messages. Participants also described increased openness and comfort in talking about sexual topics with both mothers and fathers from the 1st to 4th year of college. Overall, the results suggest that prior findings of increased mutuality with parents during the college years extend to the traditionally taboo topic of sexuality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A validation study of the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale with urban Hispanic and African American preschool children.

Investigated the psychometric properties of a Spanish and English version of the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS) when employed with Spanish- and English-speaking teachers and students in an urban, Southeastern community. Psychometrically sound structures were obtained with the Spanish translation of the PIPPS in support of the three original dimensions named Play Interaction, Play Disruption, and Play Disconnection, which were derived from studies of African American preschool children in lower income, Northeastern communities. Concurrent validity was supported by significant correlations between the 3 Spanish PIPPS constructs and teacher ratings of externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. Significant group differences in classroom peer play interactions were also detected for children's gender and ethnicity. The independent emergence of comparable Spanish and English PIPPS factor structures across 2 distinct regional samples provides initial support for use of this measure in research with Hispanic preschool children from low-income backgrounds. Implications for school psychologists engaging in outreach to preschool programs servicing diverse groups of children are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship of deficits in intelligence test performance of preschool children to perinatal experience.

The intelligence test records of 193 children age 3 and of 119 age 5 were analyzed in relation to their perinatal experiences and intelligence level (average or superior). The children were classified as unstressed (Group 1), suspect (Group 2), and presumably stressed (Group 3). At both ages, significant differences were found at both intelligence levels between Groups 1 and 2 + 3 in ability to copy forms. At 3 yr. a significant difference between Groups 1 and 2 + 3 in verbal skill was found among the average Ss. It is concluded that isolated deficits on complex verbal and visuomotor tasks may be indicative of minimal birth injury and that such injury is more observable among average than superior children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Play, aggression, the preschool child, and the family: A review of literature to guide empirically informed play therapy with aggressive preschool children.

Preschool-aged children displaying high levels of aggression repeatedly have been shown to be at significant risk for continued behavior problems and other social and emotional challenges throughout their lifetimes. The present literature review seeks to summarize and integrate findings across the fields of developmental psychology, family studies, child development, and play therapy to inform play therapists' practices with this population. Specifically, findings from research in these fields hold substantial implications for empirically informed ways in which play therapists can include parents within play therapy processes. Affective quality of parent- child interactions emerges as the common theme across all existing literature and is emphasized as a critical focus for play-based therapeutic intervention. Topics for future research by play therapists focusing on this population are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexual orientation and suicide attempt: A longitudinal study of the general Norwegian adolescent population.

Past and future suicide attempt rates among gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) young people were compared with those of heterosexual young people. A sample of Norwegian students (N=2,924; grades 7-12) was followed in 3 data collection waves. Risk factors included previous suicide attempt, depressed mood, eating problems, conduct problems, early sexual debut, number of sexual partners, pubertal timing, self-concept, alcohol and drug use, atypical gender roles, loneliness, peer relations, social support. parental attachment, parental monitoring, and suicidal behavior among family and friends. When homosexual attraction, homosexual identity, and same-sex sexual behavior were entered to predict suicide attempt, only same-sex sexual behavior was significantly predictive. The increased odds could not be attributed to GLB students' greater exposure to risk factors for suicide attempt. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relation between hiding skill and judgment of eye direction in preschool children.

This study examines J. H. Flavell, S. G. Shipstead, and K. Croft's (1978) finding that 2 1/2-year-old children can hide an object behind a screen but cannot achieve the same result by placing the screen in front of the object. Experiment 1 replicated this finding alongside a task in which children judged what a person in a picture was looking at. Performance on the move-object task approached ceiling; performances on the move-screen and looking-where tasks were highly correlated even after age and control task performance were partialed out (r=.54, pengagement, a precursor to a mature understanding of attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Athletic classmates, physical self-concept, and free-time physical activity: A longitudinal study of frame of reference effects.

The systematic analysis of factors that promote or impede physical activity in children is an urgent task for educational researchers. The present study investigated the reciprocal relationship between physical self-concept, teacher-assigned grades in physical education classes, and free-time physical activity, and analyzed positive and negative consequences of being in a class with high class-average physical ability. Data from a large, representative sample of 1,095 preadolescents from 66 classrooms were examined within a longitudinal framework. Multilevel analyses showed that membership in a class with high class-average physical ability was associated with lower physical self-concept and free-time physical activity and highlighted the significant role of teacher-assigned grades in the development of physical self-concept and physical activity. Furthermore, as predicted, there were positive reciprocal effects between physical self-concept and physical activity levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How is emergent writing based on drawing? Analyses of children's products and their sorting by children and mothers.

Writing and drawing produced by children 28-53 months old were compared. Israeli and Dutch preschoolers were asked to draw and write, to classify their products as drawing and writing, and to decide what they had drawn or written. Israeli and Dutch mothers classified the products. Scores on a scale for writing composed of graphic, "writing-like," and symbolic schemes showed improvement with age. Recognition of drawings as drawings preceded recognition of writings as writings. Scores on writing and drawing were substantially correlated, even with age partialed out, suggesting (a) that when children start drawing objects referentially, they write by drawing "print" and (b) that progress in object drawing involves progress in drawing print, so that their writing becomes more writing-like. Children unable to communicate meaning by writing spontaneously resort to drawing-like devices, indicating the primacy of drawing as a representational-communicative system. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mothers' teaching strategies and children's effortful control: A longitudinal study.

Findings on the relation of maternal verbal teaching strategies to children's effortful control (EC; i.e., self-regulation) are limited in quantity and somewhat inconsistent. In this study, children's EC was assessed at 18, 30, and 42 months (ns = 255, 229, and 209, respectively) with adults' reports and a behavioral measure. Mothers' verbal teaching strategies were assessed while the mother and child worked on a task together. Children's general vocabulary also was measured. In a structural panel model taking into account prior levels of constructs and correlations within time, as well as the relations of EC and teaching strategies to children's vocabulary, socioeconomic status, age, and sex of the child, 18-month EC positively predicted mothers' 30-month cognitive assistance and questioning strategies and negatively predicted 30-month maternal directive strategies. In addition, high 30-month EC predicted greater 42-month maternal cognitive assistance and fewer directive strategies. Thus, mothers' teaching strategies were predicted by individual differences in self-regulatory skills, supporting potential evocative child effects on mothers' teaching strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in the reciprocal relationships between parental physical aggression and children's externalizing problem behavior in China.

The study examines gender differences in the reciprocal relations between parental physical aggression and child externalizing problem behavior in China. Four hundred fifty-four Chinese elementary school-age children reported on three forms of their parents' physical aggression toward them (i.e., mild corporal punishment, severe corporal punishment, and physical abuse) and their externalizing problem behavior at two time points, 6 months apart. Structural equation modeling revealed that the three types of parental physical aggression predicted child externalizing problem behavior for girls but not boys, whereas child externalizing problem behavior predicted severe corporal punishment and physical abuse for boys but not girls; child externalizing problem behavior did not predict mild corporal punishment for either gender. The findings suggest that the intervention for and prevention of child externalizing problem behavior may be somewhat different for boys and girls in China. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation of emotion-related regulation to children's social competence: A longitudinal study.

The differential relations of children's emotion-related regulation (i.e., effortful control and impulsivity) to their personality resiliency, adult-rated popularity, and social competence were examined in children who were 4.5-7.9 years old and who were remeasured 2 years later. Parents and teachers reported on all constructs, and children's attentional persistence was observed. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediating role of resiliency on the relations between regulation/control and popularity using two-wave longitudinal data. The results provide some evidence of the mediating role of resiliency in the relations between effortful control and popularity, provide some evidence of bidirectional effects, and also buttress the view that emotional regulation should be differentiated into effortful and reactive forms of control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Autonomic correlates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder in preschool children.

Numerous studies have revealed autonomic underarousal in conduct-disordered adolescents and antisocial adults. It is unknown, however, whether similar autonomic markers are present in at-risk preschoolers. In this study, the authors compared autonomic profiles of 4- to 6-year-old children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD; n = 18) with those of age-matched controls (n = 20). Children with ADHD and ODD exhibited fewer electrodermal responses and lengthened cardiac preejection periods at baseline and during reward. Although group differences were not found in baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia, heart rate changes among ADHD and ODD participants were mediated exclusively by parasympathetic withdrawal, with no independent sympathetic contribution. Heart rate changes among controls were mediated by both autonomic branches. These results suggest that at-risk preschoolers are autonomically similar to older externalizing children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of alphabet-letter instruction on young children's word recognition.

This study examined the influence of letter-name instruction on beginning word recognition. Thirty-three preschool children from low-socioeconomic-status families participated in 16 weeks of letter-name or comprehension-focused instruction. After instruction, children's ability to learn 3 types of word spellings was examined: words phonetically spelled with letters children had been taught (e.g., BL for ball), words phonetically spelled with letters children had not been taught, and words with visually distinct letter spellings that were nonphonetic. Children who received letter-name instruction learned words phonetically spelled with letters included in instruction significantly better than other words. Children receiving comprehension instruction performed significantly better on visually distinct word spellings. Results demonstrate the beneficial effects of alphabet-letter instruction on beginning phonetic word recognition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexual symbolism and the variables of sex and personality integration.

The purpose was to reassess the hypothesis of sexual symbolism using stimulus figures similar to those presented in Levy's study (see 28: 8696). The hypotheses were: (1) when asked to designate stimulus objects as male or female, Ss respond to elongated, pointed, or penetrating objects as male, and to hollow, rounded, or enclosing objects as female; and (2) psychiatric patients identify these objects as male or female, respectively, less frequently than nonpsychiatric patients. 20 psychiatric patients and 20 college students, each group made up of an equal number of males and females, served as Ss. Both hypotheses were confirmed at significant levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)