No description available.

In two experiments, I tested the effects of a curriculum-based intervention on preschool students’ degree of stimulus control for bidirectional naming (BiN) across familiar and unfamiliar word-picture relation levels of complexity. In Experiment I, I used a multiple probe design to test the effects of the curriculum-based intervention on the degree of BiN for familiar word-picture relations. All four participants in the first experiment demonstrated an increase in the degree of BiN for familiar picture-word relation, with three participants meeting the incidental BiN criterion level of 80% across three response topographies. In Experiment II, I compared the curriculum-based intervention and repeated novel naming experience (RNNE) on preschool students’ degree of BiN and learning. The dependent variables were 1) degree of stimulus control for BiN across familiar and unfamiliar word-picture relations 2) learn units to criterion across math and reading 3) percentage of correct responses to unconsequated post-math and reading instruction probes. I investigated whether the method of acquisition of BiN, a curriculum based or RNNE, has differential effects on the dependent variables. Three out of four participants who received the curriculum-based intervention acquired BiN for picture-word relations following a novel experience, while one out of four participants under the RNNE condition acquired BiN. The results of the study suggest that a curriculum-based instruction can simultaneously induce BiN while teaching academic objectives to preschool students. Experiment II also implicates the effects of a technology-mediated intervention on developing academic and verbal behavior development cusps even in young children.

No description available.

Disproportionately large numbers of infants showing atypical growth patterns are reportedly born to young mothers. Infants with these atypical growth patterns consistently show differences in measures of infant state. The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between maternal age and infant state. The behavioral state of 61 newborn infants was rated at 30-sec. intervals using Thoman's (1975) state scale during a one-hour observational session. The total number of epochs in quiet sleep, active sleep, alert, transitions from quiet sleep to active sleep, transitions from active sleep to quiet sleep, and the range of states for each infant were regressed on maternal age in an attempt to demonstrate a quadratic relation between infant state and maternal age. The regression analysis showed that maternal age could not predict any of the state measures. However, in this study, maternal age and poverty were confounded. An overrepresentation of biomedical risk factors may have concealed differences in infant behavioral state. Exploratory regression analysis did not provide a meaningful interpretation of the relation between the biomedical risk factors and infant state measures. However, this study provides indirect support for the hypothesis that atypical patterns of fetal growth in infants born to adolescent mothers may be explained, in part, by a decreased net availability of nutrients resulting from the mothers growth needs and the growth needs of her fetus. / M.S.

Although practical guidelines in the field of early childhood education recommend a high level of involvement among teachers with children, empirical research on the effects of such involvement has been equivocal. This study assessed the contribution of teacher presence to the appropriate behavior of preschool children in a single area of the childcare setting, the dramatic play area. In addition, parent reports of child behavior problems were used to delineate two groups of children, with high and low scores on this measure. A normative analysis of differences across teacher involvement conditions indicated that children engaged in more social play when the teacher was absent. This was particularly true among those children with fewer behavior problems, and appears to have been due in part to a roughly proportional increase in interactions with an adult. Children's dramatic play also differed across these dimensions: the highest rate of this behavior occurred among low behavior-problem children when the teacher was absent, and the lowest rate was obtained among high behavior problem children when the teacher was present. Other useful indicators included age, gender, and socialization experience. In general, older children and those with more socialization experience engaged in more appropriate play, while boys exhibited more disruptive behaviors. / Master of Science

While a variety of researchers have identified periodic recurrences in infant behavioral state with various time-series techniques, the appropriateness of techniques which identify periodic recurrences in all infants at all ages have been questioned. The purpose of this study was to compare the utility of four time-series techniques used in the analysis of periodic recurrences in the behavioral state of 21 newborns during a 2 hour observation period. For quiet sleep, active sleep and awake states the period length of the major rhythm was estimated by 1) binary spectrum analysis, 2) binary autocorrelation, 3) renewal time analysis, and 4) kappa analysis. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed that the period lengths identified by renewal time analysis were significantly shorter than those identified by the other three techniques for quiet and active sleep. Further, the kappa analysis and binary autocorrelation showed that awake states were significantly shorter than both active sleep and quiet sleep. Pearson product-moment correlations showed that the relation between the periods for a given state identified by each analysis ranged from .01 to .83. The results indicate that 1) renewal time analysis is more sensitive to state interruptions than the other techniques, 2) awake states may have a different period length than either quiet sleep or active sleep, and 3) although the four techniques identified state recurrences in almost all of the neonates, only a smaller subgroup of neonates displayed a pattern of technique agreement that would indicate a clearly rhythmic pattern of states. / M.S.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Childhood fears and anxiety are considered to be common and part of typical child development. In some cases, however, these fears can be regarded as a serious psychiatric problem which may have a major influence on children‘s functioning. Anxiety disorders are classified as the most common psychiatric disorders among adults and children in the international as well as the South African context. Although research on anxiety in adults and older children has received much attention, research regarding anxiety among young children has been neglected. Anxiety symptoms in young children often go unnoticed and therefore these children are not referred for treatment in time, causing the anxiety to have a major impact on their lives. In order to reduce the possible effect of anxiety on children‘s lives, children who are vulnerable to the development of anxiety have to be identified at a young age so that early intervention and prevention programmes can be implemented. Behavioural inhibition or shyness in early childhood has been identified as a risk factor for the development of anxiety symptoms. These symptoms may persist into adolescence and adulthood if not addressed timeously. The association between anxiety and behavioural inhibition has been widely researched internationally. However, as far as could be ascertained, no studies in this regard have been conducted within the South African context. With this in mind, the present study aimed to explore the relationship between anxiety symptoms and behavioural inhibition in a sample of young South African children. A cross-sectional research design was employed and data were collected quantitatively. The data for the research were obtained from parents and teachers who reported on the anxiety symptoms and behavioural inhibition in a group of 107 young South African children, divided into two age groups—2- to 3-year-olds and 4- to 6-year-olds—by means of two questionnaires, the Revised Preschool Anxiety Scale (PAS-R) and the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire (BIQ). Results of the PAS-R and BIQ scores indicated that there was a positive relationship between anxiety symptoms and behavioural inhibition in young South African children, as reported by both the parents and the teachers. Teacher reports, more so than parent reports indicated a strong relationship between anxiety symptoms and behavioural inhibition. No significant gender differences were found with regard to either anxiety symptoms or behavioural inhibition. Parent reports did not indicate significant age differences regarding anxiety symptoms but teacher reports did. Teachers reported the older group of 4- to 6-year-old children to have higher scores on the Generalized anxiety subscale than the younger group of 2- to 3-year-olds. Lastly, no significant age differences were found with regard to behavioural inhibition according to either the parents or the teachers. In conclusion, this study makes an important contribution to the current literature and also for future studies that would be conducted in this regard. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Angs en vrese tydens die kinderjare word beskou as algemeen en deel van enige kind se ontwikkeling. In sommige gevalle kan hierdie vrese egter ʼn psigiatriese probleem wees wat ʼn groot invloed op ʼn kind se funksionering kan hê. Angsversteurings word geklassifiseer as die mees algemene psigiatriese versteurings onder volwassenes en kinders, sowel internasionaal as in Suid-Afrika. Navorsing oor angssimptome by volwassenes en ouer kinders is meer algemeen en het reeds heelwat aandag geniet, maar wêreldwyd is weinig navorsing in verband met angs onder jonger kinders gedoen. Omdat angssimptome by jong kinders dikwels nie raakgesien word nie, word hulle ook nie betyds verwys vir behandeling nie en dan kan die angssimptome ʼn groot impak op die lewens van hierdie kinders hê. Om die effek van angs op kinders se lewens te verminder, is dit noodsaaklik om kinders wat vatbaar is vir die ontwikkeling van angssimptome reeds op ʼn jong ouderdom te identifiseer sodat vroeë intervensie kan plaasvind en voorkomingsprogramme geïmplimenteer kan word. Daar is bevind dat gedragsinhibisie of skaamheid in die vroeë kinderjare ʼn risikofaktor vir die ontwikkeling van angssimptome kan wees wat dan kan voortduur tot adolessensie en selfs tot in volwassenheid as dit nie betyds aangespreek word nie. Die verband tussen angs en gedragsinhibisie is wyd nagevors in die internasionale konteks, maar sover as wat vasgestel kon word, is geen studies in hierdie verband in Suid-Afrika gedoen nie. Teen hierdie agtergrond is met die huidige studie gepoog om die verband tussen angssimptome en gedragsinhibisie by ʼn groep jong Suid Afrikaanse kinders te ondersoek. ʼn Deursnee-ontwerp is gebruik en data is kwantitatief ingesamel deurdat die ouers en onderwysers van die kinders twee vraelyste moes voltooi oor die angssimptome en gedragsinhibisies van die betrokke kinders. Die twee vraelyste wat vir die doel gebruik is, was die Voorskoolse Angsskaal (PAS-R) en die Gedragsinhibisie Vraelys (BIQ). Die groep het bestaan uit 107 Suid-Afrikaanse kinders wat in twee groepe verdeel is volgens hul ouderdomme, naamlik 2- tot 3-jariges en 4- to 6-jariges. Die resultate van die PAS-R en die BIQ het aangedui dat daar ʼn positiewe verband is tussen angssimptome en gedragsinhibisie by jong Suid-Afrikaanse kinders volgens die ouer- en onderwyserverslae. Tog het die verslae van die onderwysers ʼn sterker verband tussen angssimptome en gedragsinhibisie aangetoon as die van die ouers. Volgens beide ouer- en onderwyserverslae is geen beduidende geslagsverskille gevind met betrekking tot angssimptome en gedragsinhibisie nie. Daar is ook geen beduidende ouderdomsverskille gevind vir angssimptome volgens ouerverslae nie. Daar is egter ʼn beduidende oudersdomsverskil gevind ten opsigte van angssimptome volgens die onderwysers se verslae. Die onderwysers se verslae het getoon dat die ouer groep kinders, die 4- tot 6-jariges, hoër tellings op die subskaal Veralgemeende angs as die jonger kinders ervaar het. Volgens die verslae van beide die ouers en onderwysers was daar geen beduidende ouderdomsverskille ten opsigte van gedragsinhibisie nie. Ten slotte, hierdie studie maak 'n belangrike bydrae tot die huidige literatuur asook tot toekomstige studies wat uitgevoer sal word in hierdie verband.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study was undertaken with the view to explore the experiences of tutors of children with the dual diagnosis of Autism and Down syndrome during the implementation of an Applied Behaviour Analysis support programme The parents of the children willingly participated in a research project of the Department of Educational Psychology and Specialized Education at the University of Stellenbosch. A private individual funded the project. The aim of the project was to evaluate the effectiveness of an Applied Behavior Analysis support programme over a period of 26 weeks on an individual that has Autism. The programme impacted the daily lives of the tutors. The question soon arose as to how the intensive contact between tutor and the child would be experienced by the tutor. A literature review was conducted to obtain a perspective of research done in this field. I fulfilled the dual role of researcher and trainee educational psychologist. The social contructivist framework was chosen as the preferred educational psychological framework from which to approach the study, while the participatory action research paradigm lent itself to describe the individual experiences of the tutors. The experiences were gathered from interviews, observations, video material, journals and reflections. The research report describes a variety of possible experiences the tutor underwent and the repercussions thereof. Suggestions were made as to how adaptations to the programme could serve to expand the training of educational psychologists and tutors. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is onderneem om die belewenisse van tutors van kinders met die dubbel diagnose van Outisme en Down sindroom tydens 'n Toegepaste Gedragsmodifikasie Analise program te ondersoek. Die ouers van die kinders het vrywilliglik deelgeneem aan 'n navorsingsprojek van die Departement Opvoedkunde en Spesialiseringsonderwys van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Fondse vir die projek is van 'n privaat persoon ontvang. Die doel van die projek was om die effektiwiteit van die program oor 'n tydperk van 26 weke te evalueer. Die tutors se daaglikse lewe is deur die program beïnvloed en die vraag het ontstaan hoe die intensiewe kontak tussen kind en tutor deur die tutor beleef sou word. 'n Literatuurstudie is onderneem om inligting oor bestaande navorsing in te win. Ek het tydens die projek die rol van beide navorser en opvoedkundige sielkundige in opleiding vervul. Die sosiaal konstruktiwistiese raamwerk is bespreek as 'n sinvolle opvoedkundige sielkundige raamwerk, terwyl die deelnemende aktiewe navorsingsparadigma homself daartoe leen om die belewenisse van die tutors te beskryf. Die belewenisse is ingesamel deur middel van onderhoude, observasie en video materiaal, 'n joernaal en refleksies. Hierdie navorsingsprojek beskryf 'n verskeidenheid van die moontlike belewenisse van die tutors sowel as die moontlike nagevolge daarvan. Voorstelle oor moontlike aanpassings in die program word gemaak om sodoende die opleiding van tutors sowel as opvoedkundige sielkundiges in opleiding te verbeter.

Faculty of Education. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 243-286)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.