The purposes of the study were (1) to examine the relationship among pretense quality as determined by (a) the number of verbally expressed transformations and (b) the proportion of ideational transformations, imaginative predisposition as measured by the Barron's Movement Threshold Test and peer popularity as determined by sociometric rating; and (2) to compare sex-differences in pretense quality. / Thirty male and 30 female day care enrollees, age three-years-six-months to six-years, were videotaped in dyads in four 10-minute play sessions. Each subject was paired with a high and low pretense ability peer of both sexes. Video tapes were transcribed and pretense transformations enacted by each subject were coded by observers. / Ten null hypotheses were tested using a pre-set .05 Alpha. Results indicated no relationship between age and the proportion of ideational transformations. Age was related significantly to the number of verbally expressed transformations for females but not for males. High imaginative and low imaginative children did not differ according to the number of verbally expressed transformations or the proportion of ideational transformations. / No difference between males and females was found in the number of verbally expressed transformations or the proportion of ideational transformations enacted across all four pairing. When paired with opposite-sex peers, males and females did not differ according to these variables. However, when paired with same-sex peers, females used a significantly greater proportion of ideational transformations than did males. / The number of verbally expressed transformations was related significantly to popularity for boys but not for girls. When sociometric ratings was regressed on sex, age, and number of verbally expressed transformations, the model accounted for 21 percent of the variance. Sex accounted for more than half of the variance (12 percent). After sex was partialled out, the number of verbally expressed transformations accounted for an additional six percent. The proportion of ideational transformations was not related to popularity. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-09, Section: A, page: 2556. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

The purposes of this study were to determine whether knowledge of a child's family's marital status (divorced home/intact home/family status unknown) and/or teacher's marital status (single/divorced) would affect the teacher's ratings of that child's personality traits and predicted behaviors. The study sought to determine whether there was any interactive effect of rater marital status and knowledge of family background upon these teacher ratings. The subjects were 27 divorced and 27 married teachers of grades preschool through grade five. / To test the hypotheses, two instruments were employed. The Personality Trait Rating Scale (PTRS) and the Predicted Behavior in School Form (PBS) were used by the teachers to rate behaviors of a five year old child observed on a videotape. / Findings were: (1) knowledge of a child's family marital status did not have any significant effect on teachers' ratings on the PTRS or on the PBS. Mean rating scores on both instruments did not differ significantly among the three treatment conditions, (2) teacher marital status had no significant effect on ratings, i.e., mean ratings on the PTRS and PBS did not differ between married and divorced teachers, and (3) no interactive effects were found, i.e., teacher ratings across treatment groups did not differ significantly according to marital status of teacher. The findings of this study were unexpected. Contrary to some earlier research, teachers were not biased in their ratings by knowledge of a child's family's marital status. Similarly, married teachers who had not experienced the divorce process themselves were no more positively or negatively biased in their ratings with the two instruments used in the study than were the divorced teachers. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-02, Section: A, page: 0380. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.

Psychotropic medications commonly used with children have been associated with side effects significant enough to warrant warnings from the Food and Drug Administration. The risks of these side effects are potentially increased in children who are long-term survivors of childhood cancer because of damage to the heart and central nervous system (CNS) due to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. There are few empirical studies addressing whether children treated for cancer have greater exposure to psychotropic medications than the general population, the reasons for use of psychotropic medications in cancer survivors, or whether risks associated with cancer treatment are considered when psychotropic medications are used. The specific aims of this study were: (1) to examine the prevalence of psychotropic medication use among children treated for cancer, (2) to obtain descriptive data regarding variables associated with medication usage, and (3) to develop a model to predict which children are likely to be prescribed psychotropic medication. A cross-sectional sample of 69 children, ages two to 17 years, who were undergoing treatment or had successfully completed treatment for leukemia/lymphoma, central nervous system (CNS) tumors, or other non-CNS related cancers were recruited. Caregivers completed measures of psychosocial functioning, medication use, and developmental history. Medical history was also obtained. Results indicated that 15% of subjects were taking psychotropic medication, specifically stimulants and antidepressants. The Classification and Regression Trees (CART) algorithm was used to develop a predictive model. Results indicated gender, age, and presence of school difficulty explained a total of 46% of the variance in psychotropic medication use in the pediatric cancer population; children treated for cancer who were male, age 10 or older and had reported school difficulty were more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medication. No cancer variables were found to influence psychotropic medication use. Several limitations likely influenced results including limited sample size, inclusion of multiple diseases in the non-CNS involved solid tumor diagnosis group, and recruitment limited to three sites. Results indicate a need for continuous examination of psychotropic medication use and possible side effects in the childhood cancer population.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe, with the intention of understanding, the lived experiences and meanings given to these experiences, of adult women who were verbally abused as children. Existing studies in the area of verbal abuse have often examined verbal abuse as part of psychological and/or emotional abuse or in conjunction with physical and sexual abuse. In order to more fully understand the phenomenon of childhood verbal abuse and to add to previous research, this study focused exclusively on verbal abuse using a phenomenological research approach. Three adult women who experienced childhood verbal abuse, but who are coping successfully despite negative childhood experiences, were interviewed in three separate in-depth conversations; these were augmented with observations, fieldnotes and other documents. After multiple readings of the transcripts, stories of the three women were told. Further analysis consisted of a guided existential reflection based on lived time, lived body, lived space and lived relation to aid in the process of questioning, reflecting, writing, and coming to a deeper understanding of the ways these women have experienced childhood verbal abuse. The findings from this study add to the understanding of childhood verbal abuse and perhaps will have the added benefit of bringing increased awareness of how detrimental this form of abuse can be to an individuals self-concept. Results suggest that although verbal abuse experienced in childhood can have negative consequences, individuals can cope and survive to become stronger and more resilient. Future research focusing on the body/mind connection and age-related factors would be useful.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe, with the intention of understanding, the lived experiences and meanings given to these experiences, of adult women who were verbally abused as children. Existing studies in the area of verbal abuse have often examined verbal abuse as part of psychological and/or emotional abuse or in conjunction with physical and sexual abuse. In order to more fully understand the phenomenon of childhood verbal abuse and to add to previous research, this study focused exclusively on verbal abuse using a phenomenological research approach. Three adult women who experienced childhood verbal abuse, but who are coping successfully despite negative childhood experiences, were interviewed in three separate in-depth conversations; these were augmented with observations, fieldnotes and other documents. After multiple readings of the transcripts, stories of the three women were told. Further analysis consisted of a guided existential reflection based on lived time, lived body, lived space and lived relation to aid in the process of questioning, reflecting, writing, and coming to a deeper understanding of the ways these women have experienced childhood verbal abuse. The findings from this study add to the understanding of childhood verbal abuse and perhaps will have the added benefit of bringing increased awareness of how detrimental this form of abuse can be to an individuals self-concept. Results suggest that although verbal abuse experienced in childhood can have negative consequences, individuals can cope and survive to become stronger and more resilient. Future research focusing on the body/mind connection and age-related factors would be useful.

Parents' Impact on Their Young Children's Literacy Achievement

Although there appears to be increasing popularity in neuropsychology across disciplines of study, only modest work has been conducted with preschool and schoolage children. Changes in the structure of cognitive processes during early childhood and the extent of frontal lobe maturation are important to consider when conducting assessments with young children. Many neuropsychological theories, however, are based primarily on adult research (e.g., Luria’s theory) and respective assessment measures are often the extension or slight modification of items from adult assessments. Because adults and children differ on a number of neuropsychological measures, especially at younger ages, the same underlying constructs and interpretive strategies may not be appropriate for use with young children. The CAS and NEPSY are two assessment measures based on Luria’s theory; however, each posits a different conclusion regarding the number of factors that explain neuropsychological functioning in young children. Luria asserted that neuropsychological functioning is comprised of three functional units, while Naglieri and Das (e.g., CAS) suggested a four factor model, and the authors of the NEPSY declared a five factor model of functioning. Due to the emerging development of a child’s frontal lobes, and the inconsistency regarding the number of factors related to neuropsychological functioning in young children, this study examined the CAS and NEPSY using factor analyses and model fit indices to determine the underlying structural model(s). The study also examined the usefulness of combining specific subscales from the CAS, NEPSY, and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (PPVT-III; Dunn & Dunn, 1997) to create a cross-battery approach to assessing neuropsychological functioning in young children. In addition to the CAS, NEPSY, and PPVT-III, data was obtained from the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1992), and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF; Gioia, Isquith, Guy, & Kenworthy, 2000) to gather background information and to assess parent and teacher ratings of behavioral and neuropsychological functioning.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 254-265). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2009. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains iv, 51 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-51).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2003. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 93 p.; also includes graphics. Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: Antoinette Miranda, College of Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-93).