The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of the relations among temperament, cognition, social skills, and social and cognitive levels of play in 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old preschool children. Subjects were 126 preschool boys (n=67) and girls (n=59) selected from two community child care programs in north-central Indiana. The mean age of the preschoolers was 56 months. Information about temperament and social skills was obtained from preschoolteachers using the Temperament Assessment Battery for Children (Martin, 1988) and Social Skills Rating System (Gresham & Elliott, 1990). Preschoolers' cognition was measured by the Bracken Basic Concept Scale (Bracken, 1984) and play styles were obtained through systematic observation of free play using the Smilansky/Parten play matrix. Factor analysis of the TABC subtests, BBCS scores, SSRS scores, and play category observations revealed four unique factors. Among the four factors, a mastery motivation factor emerged as well as did an impulsivity factor. Salient loadings of these two factors were primarily a combination of TABC subtests, SSRS scores, and BBCS scores. Play styles formed their own factors with both cognitive play levels and social play levels defining separate and unique factors. Results and implications of these findings are discussed as they relate to previous research and future directions for study. / Department of Educational Psychology

Recent research has shown that children under two years demonstrate some early social understanding. Previous research has also demonstrated that mother talk about mental states is a factor in older preschoolers� later theory of mind understanding. In order to learn more about the predictive nature of mother mental state talk to very young children, this study examined the relation between mother talk about mental states at 15 and 24 months and their later mental state language and emotion understanding at 24 and 33 months. At all three time points, 71 mothers and 3 fathers (N=74) described pictures to their infants and mother talk was coded for mental and non-mental state language at 15, 24 and 33 months. In addition, at all three time points, children�s mental and non-mental state vocabulary levels were obtained via parental report. At the second and third time points the children were administered an emotion situation and a body emotion task. The mothers� ability to interpret emotion faces was also assessed. The results showed that mother use of desire language was more prevalent at 15 months, with references to thinking and knowledge increasing at 24 months. Partial correlations demonstrated that mother use of desire language with 15-month old children uniquely predicted a child�s mental state language and emotion situation task performance at 24 months, even after accounting for earlier child language, mother socioeconomic status, mothers� own emotion understanding, and other types of mother non-mental state language. Similarly, at 24 months of age, after accounting for potentially confounding variables, such as child language, mother use of think/know language as well as desire language were both predictors of children�s mental state language and emotion task performance at 33 months. The results further demonstrated that mothers� tendency to refer to the child�s (versus others�) desires at 15 months was the more consistent correlate of children�s mental state language and emotion understanding at 24 months. At 24 months a different pattern emerged with both references to the child�s and others� thoughts and knowledge correlating with child mental state language and emotion task performance at 33 months. It is proposed that Vygotsky�s zone of proximal development provides a framework within which maternal talk about specific mental states scaffolds the development of children�s later social understanding. I also suggest that such scaffolding motivates mothers to talk more about the child�s mental states when they are younger, before introducing talk that focuses on others� mental states.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2005. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Arts. Bibliography: leaves 239-257.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1991. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2771. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-114).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Texas, Dec., 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 169-174). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (M.A. in human development)--Washington State University, May 2009. / Title from PDF title screen (viewed on Apr. 5, 2010). "Department of Human Development." Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-84).

Thesis--New York University. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--New York University. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2002. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 141-153). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.