The purposes of this study were to determine whether there is: (1) a difference between the intellectual and social competence of young children and the levels of communicative behavior of their mothers with caregivers, (2) a relationship between the intellectual and social competence of young children and the attitudes of their mothers toward communication with caregivers, and (3) a relationship between the attitude scores of mothers toward communication with caregivers and the mothers' communicative behavior with caregivers. The subjects were 47 full-time day care children who were 2 years 8 months to 4 years 0 months and their mothers. The children had been enrolled for less than six weeks in day care. / To test the hypotheses, four instruments were used. The Parent Attitude Toward Caregiver Communication was completed by the parents to measure attitudes toward communication with the caregiver. The Parent Participatory Communication Checklist was completed by the caregivers to measure frequency of communication of mothers with the caregiver. The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities was administered to test intellectual competence. The Harvard Preschool Project's Social Competence Checklist was given to measure social competence. / Findings indicate a significant difference between the intellectual and social competence scores of young children and the levels of communicative behavior of their mothers with caregivers. There was a significant relationship between the: (1) communicative attitude scores of the mothers and the intellectual and social competence scores of their children, and (2) communicative attitude scores of the mothers and the communicative behavior of the mothers. / For this sample, it was found that as children scored higher on intellectual and social tests, their mothers made increased efforts to become knowledgeable consumers of day care service for their children. The results suggest that the mother-caregiver interaction is highly attitudinal. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-11, Section: A, page: 4712. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the Dallas Pre-School Screening Test (DPST) in terms of (1) test-retest reliability; (2) concurrent validity with the Metropolitan Readiness Tests (MRT); and (3) group performance differences in age, sex, and conceptual background as measured by performance on the Tests of Basic Experiences (TOBE). / Subjects of the study included 51 kindergarten children attending the Florida State University Developmental Research School in Tallahassee, Florida in the school year 1979-1980. These subjects represent the school-age population of the state of Florida in terms of race, sex, socioeconomic status, and academic ability. / The DPST was individually administered. Following a 2-week interval, it was readministered along with the MRT. For the total DPST score, the test-retest reliability coefficient (r = .81) and the concurrent validity coefficient with the MRT (r = .62) were both statistically significant at the .05 level. / Some group performance differences were found, including a difference in performance by age: 5-year-olds scored significantly higher than 4-year-olds on the DPST. No performance differences related to sex were found. However, performance differences related to conceptual background were shown. Children were divided into three groups according to performance on the TOBE: above-average, average, and below-average. The above-average TOBE group scored significantly higher on the DPST than did the other two TOBE groups. No significant difference was found in the DPST scores between the average and below-average TOBE groups. / The results of the study indicated that the DPST demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity for the preschool population of Florida. However, although the reliability coefficient of .81 was found for the total DPST score, investigation of the subtest scores indicated that various subtests were below the acceptable level. The reasons for the low reliability of some subtest scores can be attributed to the lack of concise directions and scoring criteria. Recommendations for such revisions of the manual were suggested. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-03, Section: A, page: 0930. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-09, Section: A, page: 4884. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-09, Section: A, page: 4884. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-10, Section: A, page: 5309. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the significance of using blocks as an art medium to teach young children, 3 and 4 years of age, selected art concepts through regularly scheduled treatments. It also examined the effect of learning these concepts had on the structures the children built. / The sample consisted of 40 children, ages 42-54 months, who were randomly selected from four pre-schools in Tallahassee, Florida. Two schools, one designated as the experimental with 10 children and one as the control with 10 children, were on the east side of the city. Two schools with the same distribution were on the west side. / The 20 experimental subjects were divided into four groups of five and each group received one identical treatment per week for six weeks. They were introduced to and encouraged to talk about art attributes while observing structures, interacting with the experimentor and manipulating and building with blocks. The controls received no treatment but were free to construct with blocks. / Relevant art attributes for the medium of blocks were selected from CEMREL. With the help of a professor of art education, 42 were chosen and organized into seven simple conceptual statements. These were grouped into six treatments. To test the concepts two instruments were designed, tested for reliability and administered by the investigator for pre- and posttesting. He scored the concept identification test and three raters who were trained by him scored the implementation. The Fisher t-test, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Chi-square test of independence were used to analyze the data for the three hypotheses. / Hypothesis 1 examined the effect the treatment had on children's acquisition of art concepts compared to those who did not have the treatment. The results yielded significance at the .001 level in favor of the treatment. Talking about and using art concepts significantly increased the art concept scores. / Hypothesis 2 examined the effects the treatment had on children's block structures compared to those who did not have the treatment. The results yielded significance at the .001 level in favor of the experimental group. Those children identifying art concepts changed their block structures reflecting their use. / Hypothesis 3 examined the relationship between the children's ability to identify concepts and implement these in their block structure. The results yielded a moderately high association, .67, between the children's concepts on both tests and a significant association at the .05 level between the subject's ability to identify concepts and to implement them in a block building structure. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, Section: A, page: 2483. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

The purpose of the study was to compare day care and home-reared preschoolers on measures of Cooperative Behavior (defined as level of compliance and aggressiveness with adults) and Peer Competence (defined as the ability to initiate and successfully maintain positive interactions with peers). In addition, attachment was measured in the two groups. The day care group had 12 to 23 months of nonmaternal care during the first 2 years of life and the home-reared group had 0 to 7 months of nonmaternal care during the first 2 years. The subjects were middle-class 4-year-olds from two-parent families. / It was hypothesized that the day care group would score lower in the areas of Cooperative Behavior and Peer Competence as measured by Achenbach and Edelbrock's Child Behavior Checklist and on measures of Attachment as measured by a 14-item scale designed by the investigator. It was further hypothesized that day care males would receive lower scores in the areas of Cooperative Behavior, Peer Competence and Attachment than day care females. Hypotheses were tested at the.10 level using Analysis of Variance. / Tests of the hypotheses found no significant differences between day care and home-reared preschoolers on measures of Attachment, Cooperative Behavior and Peer Competence. Males were more securely attached than females yet received higher scores on measures of aggression and noncompliance. These findings suggest that day care and home-rearing situations are equivalent environments for young children. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-12, Section: A, page: 3614. / Major Professor: Virginia P. Green. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1988.

The problem of this study was to investigate the relationship between four selected paternal child-rearing practices, an internal locus of control perception, and motivation to achieve in preschool children (ages four and five). The four child-rearing practices selected included (a) use of a punishment versus reason, (b) promotion of dependence or independence, (c) use of rules and regulations, and (d) use of rewards. / This research study used an analytical survey design. It was based upon one self-reported, self-administered father's questionnaire (Child-Rearing Practices Questionnaire), and two interview activities for preschool children (Stanford Preschool Internal-External Scale; Hawaii Motivation Achievement Test). The 117 father-child dyads who participated in this study were from randomly selected child care centers in Leon County, Florida. / Results were based on data analyzed using Pearson product moment correlations, multivariate multiple regression analysis, and ANOVA. Findings of statistical significance included the following: (a) father's use of rules and regulations was associated with children's achievement motivation, (b) family type (i.e., father-mother together) affected children's achievement motivation, (c) younger fathers (i.e., 18-32 years) in this study used punishment, and rules and regulations as child-rearing practices, (d) less educated fathers (i.e., high school and below), used punishment, and rules and regulations as child-rearing practices, and (e) more educated fathers (i.e., graduate degree) promoted dependent behavior in their children. / Statistically significant relationships between the four selected child-rearing practices, and an internal locus of control perception in four- and five-year-old children were not found. Additionally, children's motivation to achieve and an internal locus of control perception were not shown to have a statistical linear association. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-02, Section: A, page: 0408. / Major Professor: Eileen M. Earhart. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 35-09, Section: A, page: 5914. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1974.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 36-08, Section: A, page: 5135. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1975.