No description available.

In this research project, the speech which four mothers used to address their language-learning infants was examined. Part 1. A Descriptive analysis of mother's speech to infants led to the conclusion that this speech is both simple and redundant in nature, as measured by the language classification tools used. However, the four mothers used in this study differed from each other, in their speech to their infants. Part 11. A Trend analysis of measures of mother's speech to infants was used, to note how this speech changed over time. Little change was observed within each mother's speech to her infant, over the following periods of time: Oliver's and Julie's mothers, 24 weeks (each), Sarah's mother, 42 weeks and Kerryn's mother, 56 weeks. Part 111. A Functional analysis of mother's speech to infants suggests that speech varies in function as the child develops. This is particularly seen in the inclusion of the world about the child by the mother in her speech. The content of the mother's messages also varies over time. Finally an example of trends in 'conversation between mothers and their infants is presented as another useful approach. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, 1977.

The behaviour of a group of nursery school children with respect to a novel object in a familiar playground was recorded on videotape and film. Recording sessions of half an hour's duration took place on 5 consecutive days. The behaviour was analysed according to receptor-contact patterns, and recurring patterns of behaviour derived from McGrew's (1972) list of social behaviour patterns. Evidence is discussed to support the hypothesis that group exploratory behaviour contained elements of wariness and competition as well as a general trend from specific to diversive exploration (Berlyne 1960). Sex differences in exploratory behaviour are discussed as well as the proposition that boys are generally more suited to an active exploratory role whereas girls tend to perform a communicative role. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, 1977.

This study addressed the questions of whether parents can give effective phonological and phonics skills instruction to their own young children, who are at risk for reading difficulties, and whether any positive changes in child attitude and parent confidence occur as a result of the instruction. Early phonological and phonics skills instruction is known to be effective for children at-risk for reading difficulties, but is not always provided in schools. Two groups of families (experimental and "waiting list" control) used a home program (providing phonological and phonics skills instruction, and Paired Reading guidance) for two separate, daily, ten-minute activity and reading sessions, for ten weeks. The program also included a process to address reading motivation, whereby parents used the language of strategies of mediation based on Vygotsky's social learning theories. Significant Time by Group interaction effects were calculated for Word Attack and Phoneme Deletion (Initial Sound). Parent and child pre-test and post-test questionnaires explored changes in motivation and attitude to reading. There were significant positive changes in child attitude to reading, and parent perceptions of progress. Small but significant correlations were also found between parent perceptions and treatment integrity, and between treatment integrity and achievement outcomes. It was concluded that the study provides limited support for the idea that parents of grade 1 children at-risk for reading difficulties can give instruction effectively when given detailed information about all three aspects of early reading.

No description available.

No abstract available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, 1985.

The study of character strengths is a relatively new area of research within the realm of positive psychology. Character strengths likely develop during childhood and therefore studying young children's capacities for talking about their perceptions of character strengths is important. This thesis sought to use children's voices and conduct an exploratory qualitative study into children's capacity to talk about perceptions of their own and others character strengths. The purpose of the research was two-fold, first, to create a developmentally appropriate methodology for obtaining children's perceptions of character strengths, and second, if children had the capacity to talk about character strengths, to discover how they did so. Seventeen five-and-a-half to six-year-old children participated in individual interviews at their school. After a review of the methodological issues involved with obtaining children's voices in research, four developmentally appropriate strategies utilising a story, puppets, a photo and direct interviewing strategies were created. The four strategies were tested in a pilot study, revised, and then utilised in the main study. The strategies created were found to be developmentally appropriate, and assisted children to varying degrees to talk about their perceptions. At least one character strength was able to be inferred from all children's responses. Affiliation, kindness and self-regulation were the most identified character strengths. Results indicated the children were on the cusp of developing their sense of self and the ability to verbalise their positive internal attributes. Differences in the way children talked about character strengths are discussed in reference to child development and the social nature of character strengths.

Two cohorts of fifth form boys were followed through school into their first year out of school. An attempt was made to test Super's thesis that entry into a career is part of a developmental process. Super's writings provided the basis for the identification and classification of indices of vocational maturity in the fifth form. The thesis postulated that the efficiency of these indices in predicting vocational adjustment, in the first year out of school, provided a crucial test of Super's developmental theory. Forward regression, a variation of stepwise regression, was used to identify efficient predictors. In general, it was not possible to predict adjustment in the first year of a career from the proposed indices of vocational maturity. It was possible to predict, with a fair degree of accuracy, the level of occupational attainment from the boys' educational attainment and aspirations. The results raise some doubts about the tenability of a developmental theory, if the goal is vocational adjustment. The findings are discussed within the context of an analysis of the nature of developmental theories in the social sciences.

The purpose of the study was to determine if developmental differences existed between two age groups of children on a standardized measure of sensory and motor functions. Gender differences were also examined, as well as the gender-age interaction.Subjects were 119 normal children (55 males and 64 females). Classification of subjects into one of the two groups was based on age. Group 1 subjects ranged in age from 48 through 95 months (4 through 7 years), and Group 2 subjects ranged from 96 months ranged 167 months (8 through 13 years).The multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated a significant main effect for age. The main effect for gender, and the age by gender interaction was not significant. A univariate analysis of variance was computed for age on each measure and indicated that only Visual Confrontation was not significant. Implications of these findings are discussed. / Department of Educational Psychology

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of the relations among temperament, cognition, social skills, and social and cognitive levels of play in 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old preschool children. Subjects were 126 preschool boys (n=67) and girls (n=59) selected from two community child care programs in north-central Indiana. The mean age of the preschoolers was 56 months. Information about temperament and social skills was obtained from preschoolteachers using the Temperament Assessment Battery for Children (Martin, 1988) and Social Skills Rating System (Gresham & Elliott, 1990). Preschoolers' cognition was measured by the Bracken Basic Concept Scale (Bracken, 1984) and play styles were obtained through systematic observation of free play using the Smilansky/Parten play matrix. Factor analysis of the TABC subtests, BBCS scores, SSRS scores, and play category observations revealed four unique factors. Among the four factors, a mastery motivation factor emerged as well as did an impulsivity factor. Salient loadings of these two factors were primarily a combination of TABC subtests, SSRS scores, and BBCS scores. Play styles formed their own factors with both cognitive play levels and social play levels defining separate and unique factors. Results and implications of these findings are discussed as they relate to previous research and future directions for study. / Department of Educational Psychology