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The rising prevalence of media use and the decreasing use of books create a need for research on the positive learning effects these platforms may have on children. This study will explore how learning platforms (specifically books, television, and computers) in early childhood affect development of social awareness – in particular, empathy and altruistic behavior. The researcher will recruit approximately 192 participants, ages 3 to 5, and randomly assign them to one of three groups: book readers, television viewers, and computer gamers. The subject of the platform will be kept consistent through the use of the children’s television program Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. The dependent variables, empathy and altruistic behavior, will be measured in the lab before and after a 6-month period in which the platform stimuli will be presented in the children’s homes by parents. All learning platforms are expected to have a positive effect on empathy and altruistic behavior, with books having the highest effect in participants. The results will help caregivers, parents, and teachers take steps to effectively create a better social awareness learning environment for children.

Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often experience significant academic underachievement. Written expression abilities in this population have not been extensively studied but existing prevalence estimates suggest that rates of comorbid writing underachievement may be substantially higher than comorbid reading and mathematics underachievement. The current study examined written expression abilities in a school-based sample of 326 adolescents with ADHD. The prevalence of written expression impairment, the associations between written expression and academic outcomes, and specific patterns of written expression were investigated. Results indicate that students with ADHD experience written expression impairment at a similar rate to reading and mathematics disabilities. Students’ written expression abilities were significantly associated with school grades and parent ratings of academic functioning, above and beyond reading achievement and intelligence. Analyses suggest that students with ADHD exhibit global impairment in writing, as opposed to having specific deficits in certain aspects of writing.

Man-Chi Leung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Bibliography: leaves 34-39.

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Based upon local needs assessment data, review of the literature, and a survey of professionals in the field of children's services, a design for the development of a community- based diagnostic and treatment network for services to emotionally disturbed children was formulated. Addressing the needs of a seven-county area in Southern Kentucky, the program plan defines the processes and procedures for the implementation of regional diagnostic, educational support, and technical assistance services as the initial step toward the establishment of a regional day treatment and residential center providing the full spectrum of special services to the emotionally disturbed youth of the target area. Related issues were discussed, to include the mobilization of resources, program evaluation, and research.

Nineteen first graders were placed in a four-choice situation which allowed investigation of the "Protestant ethic effect" (PEE). The S's task was to obtain tokens which could be traded for toys and candy. Tokens were available from any or all of the following quadrants (Q): (Q1) a location where the S was allowed the option to manipulate a toggle switch and/or obtain freely accessible tokens, (Q2) a location at which tokens were freely accessible, and (Q4) a work location in which the S received tokens contingent upon the operation of a toggle switch. A record of the number of tokens obtained at each of these choice locations revealed that Ss demonstrated a strong preference to obtain tokens at the work location (Q4), where 80% of all tokens were earned. The number of manipulations of the switches was also recorded for each S. Ss had the option to manipulate two toggle switches at previously described quadrants (Q1) and (Q4) and at an additional location (Q3). Ninety-four percent of all manipulation of switches was performed at the work location. The Ss' preference to earn tokens by manipulation of toggle switches rather than obtain free tokens was explained in terms of "competency," an organism's need to actively control the environment.

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of the relationship between creativity, as measured by the Prose Quantification System (PQS), and standardized academic achievement as measured by the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS). The Prose Quantification System is a measurement of the creative quality of written prose. PQS story-starters were administered to 89 fifth-grade students enrolled in six classes in two schools in south central Kentucky. Each student received two story-starters about the same content (box or paper), but in a different context (usual vs. unusual setting) and was instructed to complete the stories. A total of 178 stories were collected. The CTBS was administered in the spring scan after students had completed the PQS story-starters. Stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that combined measures of elaboration and ideational fluency significantly contributed to the prediction of total CTBS scores, math concepts and applications scores, total reading scores, and language mechanics scores, while elaboration was the only significant predictor variable contributing to language expression scores. Although significant, contributions by the predictor variables were too small to have any practical value in predicting standardized academic achievement. Results of the study indicate that standardized achievement tests do not reflect all abilities used by students within the classroom.

A study was designed to explore the developmental relationship between early childhood concepts of parent and more adult concepts of God. It attempted to identify the age at which absolute attributes such as omnipotence and ubiquity are taken away from parents and assigned to God. Based on both the theories of Freud and Piaget it was predicted that the transition will occur between the ages of four and eight. Forty children were administered an interview questionnaire and two short stories all of which depicted an attribute or characteristic which is traditionally viewed as being associated with God. Both techniques were of a projective nature. Subjects were divided according to age and sex and were from middle class home environments. Subject's responses to the techniques were divided into three categories: God, Parent, and Other. Data from the questionnaire were analyzed by means of a two-way analysis of variance for each category: God, Parent, and Other with age and sex as independent variables. Data for the stories were analyzed for each story by a 3 X 2 chi-square test for categories God, Parent, and Other with the age groups being (4 & 5) and (6 & 7). Results for the questionnaire indicated that the data supports the hypothesis that absolute characteristics of protection, omnipotence, and ubiquity are reassigned from Parent to God between ages 4 and 7. Since the present study was largely exploratory in nature, a number of procedural and methodological controls which need to be added are discussed.