Motivated by the alarming trends of decreased reading among young children and their increased use of technology, this thesis explored the design of an Augmented Reality (AR) reading experience aimed at increasing engagement among young readers in a non-educational setting. Research on technological reading experiences designed to further learning is well-established; however, fewer studies have assumed a non-educational perspective, and none have explored the naturalness of using head-mounted displays (HMD) AR. Following an exploratory Design Thinking process, a high-fidelity prototype of an HMD-AR reading experience designed to increase engagement was developed based on insights derived from related state-of-the-art research and a focus group conducted with children. The proposed AR reading experience was evaluated through tests with children aged 3-9 years old. A self-reported user engagement matrix was used to evaluate engagement based on seven different components, such as interest and challenge. The results suggest that the proposed AR reading experience had moderately positive effects on overall engagement. The engagement component interest elicited a collectively high engagement, with results indicating that reading with an interactive character in AR was the main aspect of interest. However, future research should include longitudinal testing for more conclusive results. / Motiverad av de alarmerande trenderna med minskad läsning bland unga barn och deras ökade användning av teknik, utforskade denna avhandling designen av en läsupplevelse i förstärkt verklighet (AR) avsedd att öka engagemang bland unga läsare i ett icke-pedagogiskt sammanhang. Forskning på teknologiska läsupplevelser utformade för att främja lärande är väletablerad; däremot har färre studier antagit ett icke-pedagogiskt perspektiv, och ingen har utforskat naturligheten av att använda head-mounted displays (HMD) AR. Genom att följa en explorativ design-tänkande process och baserat på insikter erhållna från relevant forskning och en fokusgrupp utförd med barn, utvecklades en fungerande prototyp av en HMD-AR-läsupplevelse designad för att öka engagemang. Den föreslagna AR-läsupplevelsen utvärderades genom tester med barn i åldrarna 3-9 år. En självrapporterad matris för användarengagemang användes för att utvärdera engagemang utifrån sju olika komponenter, däribland intresse och utmaning. Resultaten antyder att den föreslagna AR-läsupplevelsen hade måttligt positiva effekter på det övergripande engagemanget. Engagemangskomponenten intresse framkallade kollektivt högt engagemang, och resultatet indikerar att läsning tillsammans med en interaktiv karaktär i AR var den främsta aspekten av intresse. Framtida forskning bör inkludera längre studier för slutsatsgivande resultat.

The shortage of bilingual counselors is one barrier to young Latina/o children receiving mental health services. Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) is a developmentally responsive intervention based on the premise that play is children's natural means of communication across cultures. This randomized controlled study examined the effects of CCPT with young Spanish-speaking Latina/o children exhibiting clinical levels of school behavior problems. Participants were 57 pre-K to kindergarten Latina/o children (72% male; mean age = 4.0) randomly assigned to three treatment groups: CCPT with Spanish-speaking, bilingual counselors; CCPT with English-speaking, monolingual counselors; or active control (bilingual mentoring). Monolingual counselors participated in cultural competency training and supervision with bilingual counselors and supervisors. According to independent observers and teachers blinded to children's group assignment, both the bilingual CCPT group and the monolingual CCPT group demonstrated moderate treatment effects over bilingual mentoring, yet between-group differences were not statistically significant. Analysis of within-group change over time indicated that children in both CCPT interventions demonstrated statistically significant improvement, while the mentoring group did not. The percentage of children in each treatment group who improved from clinical to normal behavioral functioning suggests the clinical significance of the findings: 80% bilingual CCPT, 70% monolingual CCPT, 15% bilingual mentoring. Overall, findings indicate that CCPT, whether delivered by bilingual counselors or culturally-competent, monolingual counselors, is a promising intervention for young Latina/o children exhibiting behavior problems.

This phenomenological study examined the experiences and perceptions of child-centered play therapists who deliver shortened sessions in the clinic setting. Using the phenomenological analysis procedures based on Moustakas' modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method, a coding team of three doctoral students found 10 themes related to child-centered play therapists' (N = 5) experiences delivering shortened session lengths. Each theme is defined and further described using verbatim transcript examples. This study has practical and clinical implications for child-centered play therapist development and training. The results of this study point to the need for further research in child-centered play therapists' experiences delivering play therapy-as-usual. Finally, future research regarding the change process in child-centered play therapy theory is also implicated.

In this study, I examined the impact of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) on the social and emotional functioning and mindful expressions of preschoolers in Head Start preschool programs. Participants were 23 children from two Head Start preschool programs in the southwestern U.S. who qualified for free or reduced lunch and were referred by school personnel for behavioral or academic concerns (18 males, 5 females; ages 3-5, mean age = 3.74). The sample consisted of 1 (4.3%) African American, 5 (21.7%) Caucasian, 14 (60.9%) Latino, and 3 (13%) multiracial children. Participants were randomly assigned to eight weeks of twice-weekly CCPT experimental groups (n = 11) or a waitlist control group (n = 12). Results of the independent samples t-tests revealed statistically significant improvement in preschool children's empathy and responsibility for children who participated in CCPT on the Social Emotional Assets and Resiliency Scale for Preschool. Practically significant findings revealed that CCPT may influence specific mindful expressions including curiosity and openness as well as overall social-emotional competence, emotional knowledge and expression, and empathy and responsibility in Head Start preschool children. Results of this study support the effectiveness of CCPT with disadvantaged preschool children.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-04T18:27:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ana Paula de Sa Campos-1.pdf: 379768 bytes, checksum: 6a4e85a070edd212ee44f0aa9dce065b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-02-12 / Pontif?cia Universidade Cat?lica de Campinas / This research proposes to analyze the therapeutic potentiality of encounters held by the researcher psychologist with children of three to six years old within the context of daycare center located in Campinas, SP. The theoretical reference used was the Person Centered Approach (PCA) developed by the American psychologist Carl Ransom Rogers. Specifically, it is based upon the therapeutic proposal of Virginia Mae Axline, known as Child Centered Ludotherapy. The study may be characterized as intervention research, developed with a basis in the implantation of a practical clinical psychology, made available to the children in an institutional context. Initially, the researcher participated weekly in the routine activities of the daycare center, with the status of an observer, for a period of two months, when she entered into contact with the children and with the technicians in an informal manner. The therapeutic encounters emerged from a spontaneous need of some of the children. The stay of the researcher in the daycare center was, approximately, one year and half, dating from April 2006 to December 2007. The children themselves generated the structure of the meetings, establishing with the researcher a relationship which is similar to the clinical intervention known as On Duty Psychology. This is a differentiated psychological practice that emphasizes empathic listening, positive unconditional acceptance and congruence as therapeutic attitudes of the psychologist on duty. The research was conducted in a phenomenological manner: some narratives having been constructed upon therapeutic encounters. The narratives allow the understanding and interpretation of the clinical arousal which emerged from the therapeutic encounters through a prism of an inter-subjective relationship. It may be concluded that the therapeutic encounters present favorable conditions to the production of the psychological potential for self understanding and integration. In this study, evidence was found of: a) the capacity of the children to assume the initiative in a spontaneous search in relation to psychological help; b) the capacity of the children in communicating feelings regarding themselves and their problems; c) the capacity of the children to understand and collaborate in the construction of the relationship for psychological help; d) the importance and competence of the attitudes of empathy, positive unconditional acceptance and congruence on the part of the psychologist. The results confirm the innovative character and the importance of the development of differentiated clinical practices in institutional contexts. This research permits a glimpse of new directions insofar as the applicability of therapeutic encounters of this nature given their psychological mutative nature. / Esta pesquisa prop?s-se a analisar a potencialidade terap?utica de encontros realizados pela psic?loga pesquisadora com crian?as de tr?s a seis anos, no contexto de uma creche inserida em Campinas, SP. O referencial te?rico utilizado foi a Abordagem Centrada na Pessoa (ACP), desenvolvida pelo psic?logo norte-americano Carl Ransom Rogers. Especificamente, fundamenta-se na proposta terap?utica de Virg?nia Mae Axline, denominada Ludoterapia centrada na crian?a. O estudo caracterizou-se como uma pesquisa interven??o, desenvolvida com base na implanta??o de uma pr?tica psicol?gica cl?nica, disponibilizada para crian?as em um contexto institucional. Inicialmente, a pesquisadora participou semanalmente das atividades rotineiras da creche, na condi??o de observadora, durante um per?odo de dois meses, quando entrou em contato com as crian?as e com os t?cnicos de maneira informal. Os encontros terap?uticos emergiram da demanda espont?nea de algumas crian?as. A perman?ncia da pesquisadora na creche foi de, aproximadamente, um ano e meio, datando de abril de 2006 a dezembro de 2007. As pr?prias crian?as geraram a estrutura dos encontros, estabelecendo com a pesquisadora uma rela??o que se aproxima da interven??o cl?nica denominada de Plant?o Psicol?gico. Esta ? uma pr?tica psicol?gica que se constitui em um enquadre diferenciado que prioriza a escuta emp?tica, a aceita??o positiva incondicional e a congru?ncia como atitudes terap?uticas do plantonista. A pesquisa foi conduzida de maneira fenomenol?gica, tendo sido constru?das narrativas baseadas nos encontros terap?uticos. As narrativas permitiram compreender e interpretar o acontecer cl?nico que emergiu dos encontros terap?uticos, por um prisma de uma rela??o intersubjetiva. Concluiu-se que os encontros terap?uticos apresentam condi??es favor?veis ? atualiza??o do potencial psicol?gico para a autocompreens?o e integra??o. Neste estudo, foram evidenciadas: a) a capacidade das crian?as em assumir a iniciativa pela procura espont?nea por uma rela??o de ajuda psicol?gica; b) a capacidade das crian?as em comunicar sentimentos a respeito de si mesmas e de seus problemas; c) a capacidade das crian?as em compreender e colaborar para a estrutura??o da rela??o de ajuda psicol?gica; d) a import?ncia e sufici?ncia das atitudes de empatia, aceita??o positiva incondicional e congru?ncia por parte da psic?loga. Os resultados confirmaram o car?ter inovador e a import?ncia do desenvolvimento de enquadres cl?nicos diferenciados em contextos institucionais. Esta pesquisa permite vislumbrar novos caminhos no sentido da aplicabilidade de encontros terap?uticos desta natureza, dada a sua potencialidade mutativa.

Magister Legum - LLM / The following thesis investigates the MACR in African Legal Systems. The MACR is the youngest age at which children in conflict with the law find themselves caught up in the harsh realities of the criminal justice system. Up until recently, debates around fixing a MACR had been successfully side-stepped since the adoption of the UNCRC in 1989. The UNCRC has provided for human rights for children on a global scale while the ACRWC provides for such rights regionally. Contracting States Parties to these treaties agree that there needs to be a MACR in place and have adopted a childrens rights-based framework for reviewing their current child laws, policies and practices in accordance with the minimum standards provided. They do not however, agree on what the fixed minimum age should be. / South Africa

I examined the effectiveness of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) and person-centered teacher consultation (PCTC) for elementary school children identified with clinical or borderline levels of ADHD behaviors on the Teacher Report Form and the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale Revised - Short Form. Additionally, I examined the impact of CCPT and PCTC on the levels of parenting and teaching stress. Due to the current trend to determine interventions that are evidence-based through between-group or single case designs, for this study, I utilized a single case design experiment for which the behaviors of five children were examined. Trained observers utilized the Direct Observation Form in observations of all five students three times per week. Additionally, parents and teachers completed behavioral rating scales and stress inventories at pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. To prevent biased observational ratings, observers were blind to the assignment of the five children. Three students participated in 24 sessions of twice-weekly 30-minute sessions of CCPT, and these students' teachers participated in six sessions of once-weekly 10-minute PCTC. Two students participated in twice-weekly 30-minute sessions of reading mentoring, after which they participated in 14 sessions of CCPT. Visual analysis of the data indicated mixed results. Three students demonstrated substantial improvement in the observed ADHD behaviors within the classroom. Results of the parent and teacher assessment data were inconsistent, but did indicate behavior change for some children and a reduction in teaching stress for one teacher. Parenting stress appeared unaffected. Implications for future research regarding the use of single case design, the measurement of student behavior change, and issues of comorbidity are indicated.

Designing good digital experiences for children can be difficult; designers have to consider children's cognitive and motor skill limitations, understand their target audience, create something entertaining and educational, comply with national and international jurisdiction, and at the same time appeal to parents. We set out to create a general framework which designers and developers can use as a foundation and testing ground for their digital products in the field of user experience. The methods used during the thesis include interviews, literature studies, user testing, case studies, personas, prototyping, and more. The results created are primarily user experience guidelines packaged in a Theoretical Framework, user testing conclusions, along with suggestions on improving the current Lego Star Wars: Force Builders application, a few in the form of prototypes.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Joyce Baptist / This report describes the role of cultural socialization in the ethnic identity formation of internationally adopted children. This report explores the process of integrating the child’s birth culture and the complexities that are involved in raising internationally adopted children. The theoretical frameworks of identity development and social construction will be used to provide a conceptual understanding of the process of ethnic identity development. This report will describe the use of Narrative Therapy and Child-centered Play Therapy to facilitate the process of identity development. Implications for clinical practice will be discussed.

The purpose of this study was to develop and test the efficacy of a short-term structured play therapy treatment program for latency-aged children of divorce between six and twelve years of age. Following parental divorce latency-aged children often manifest disturbed emotional and behavioural functioning in several areas of their lives including issues such as self-image problems and poor academic functioning. In many instances, problems are acute and necessitate effective help in a relatively short time. Several play therapy modalities exist for children with some focusing on problems stemming from divorce. However, due to their complex, unstructured and lengthy nature, most of the treatment programs reviewed were relatively ineffective for most social workers. Increasingly families have little time and/or limited financial resources to commit to long-term therapy. A literature review showed a clear need for a shorter, less complex treatment program to solve the problem of limited finances and time constraints of parents seeking help for their children. A seven-stage, short-term structured play therapy program was developed for this study, including a pre-and post-treatment assessment, which focused on the main areas of dysfunction prominent among latency-aged children of divorce. The program was implemented by treating a female latency-aged child from a divorced family. The findings showed that the short-term structured play therapy program developed for this study appears to be effective in dealing with necessary and important psychological tasks facing children of divorce. The treatment program worked effectively with a female latency-aged child and facilitated psychological and emotional movement in a relatively short period of time. For social workers specialising in child play therapy the treatment program will be easy to use since all activities are clearly structured and explained with materials utilised in the sessions easy to obtain. As such, it could be a necessary and effective addition to the social work profession. / Social Work / D. Phil. (Social Work)