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Low income, urban adolescents are at risk for reduced academic competence and achievement. One feature that may increase risk for decreased scholastic competence and achievement is temperamental shyness. Indeed, adolescents higher in shyness may have more limited social-cognitive and communication skills, and experience greater peer rejection and internalizing symptoms than youth who are less shy. Nevertheless, not all adolescents higher in shyness exhibit decreased academic competence, suggesting that contextual features, such as parent and teacher praise for higher achievement and punishment for lower achievement, may influence these relations. Parent and teacher praise for adolescent academic achievement may help youth higher in shyness to seek academic assistance from peers and teachers and modulate distress in the face of stressors (e.g., academic challenges). Among youth that are shyer, exposure to parent and teacher punishment (e.g., criticizing poor achievement) may provide insufficient encouragement to approach individuals for academic help, impede their confidence to master academic challenges, or increase their risk for internalizing symptoms. Higher shyness may increase vulnerability for impaired academic competence in the context of higher levels of punishment for poor achievement and lower levels of praise for excelling academically, consistent with the diathesis-stress model. However, adolescents that are shy may also benefit more from higher levels of praise and lower levels of punishment for achievement in terms of their academic competence than adolescents lower in shyness, consistent with the differential susceptibility hypothesis. Nevertheless, no research to date has explored this possibility. In the present study, I addressed whether (a) shyness and academic competence predict each other using a cross-lagged model, (b) parent or teacher praise and punishment for level of achievement and shyness concurrently and prospectively predict academic competence, (c) youth shyness moderates the relation between parent and teacher praise and punishment for achievement levels and academic competence, and (d) moderation findings are consistent with the diathesis-stress model or differential susceptibility hypothesis. Participants were 612 youth (54% male, 85% African American). In seventh, eighth, and ninth grades, youth reported on parent and teacher praise and punishment and academic competence, and completed achievement tests. Teachers and parents reported on youth shyness. Teacher-reported shyness was negatively associated with academic competence in each grade, respectively; seventh grade teacher-reported shyness positively predicted eighth grade academic competence. Seventh grade academic competence negatively predicted eighth grade parent- and teacher-reported shyness, and eighth grade academic competence only positively predicted ninth grade teacher-reported shyness. Seventh and eighth grade praise was negatively associated with seventh and eighth grade academic competence, respectively, whereas seventh grade praise positively predicted eighth grade academic competence. Seventh, eighth, and ninth grade punishment was positively associated with academic competence in each grade, whereas seventh and eighth grade punishment negatively predicted ninth grade youth academic competence. None of the parent- or teacher-reported shyness and praise and punishment interactions predicted academic competence. Thus, results were not consistent with either the diathesis-stress model or differential susceptibility hypothesis. These findings highlight the importance of considering multiple informants of shyness and considering parent and teacher behaviors that may influence the academic competence among low income, urban youth. / Psychology

An interactive framework of working memory and inhibitory control has been endorsed for examining cognitive development across the lifespan (Roberts & Pennington, 1996). According to this framework, the interaction between working memory and inhibitory control (WMIC) is necessary for adaptive daily functioning (Roberts & Pennington, 1996) and crucial for the development of executive functioning in childhood (Brocki & Bohlin, 2004). Empirical work from early developmental periods supports the interactive WMIC framework (e.g., Bell, 2001; Diamond, Kirkham, & Amso, 2002) and has identified sources of variability (brain electrical activity, temperament, and language) associated with WMIC functioning in infancy and early childhood (Wolfe & Bell, 2004). Although there is some evidence to suggest the interdependent nature of working memory and inhibitory control in late childhood and adulthood (Diamond, 2002; Luna, Garver, Urban, Lazar, & Sweeney, 2004), work in these later developmental periods has focused primarily on the independent processes of working memory (WM) and inhibitory control (IC) and the interactive WMIC framework has not been directly investigated from late childhood onward. Therefore, the first goal of the current study was to examine the interactive framework in a late childhood sample. The second goal of the study was to examine sources of variability in WMIC functioning in late childhood, with the intention of determining which sources of variability were associated with and contributed unique variance in explaining WMIC performance. Thirty-eight children (19 male) completed four age-appropriate interactive WMIC tasks (the color-word Stroop, the Fruit Stroop, the counting go/no-go and the Wisconsin Card Sort Test) and two language tasks. Both parents and children responded to a temperament questionnaire. Brain electrical activity was collected via EEG recordings during a two-minute baseline and WMIC tasks. The four interactive WMIC tasks were tested for relation of the independent (WM, IC) and combined (WMIC) components within tasks and across tasks. The four WMIC tasks were not correlated with one another. However, the independent (WM, IC) components were correlated both with one another and with the combined WMIC measure within each task, providing some support for an interactive framework in late childhood. The sources of variability associated with the independent (WM, IC) and combined (WMIC) components of each task were identified. These sources were used to explain both collective and unique variance in WMIC functioning for each task. Different sources of variability explained independent (WM, IC) and combined (WMIC) performance across tasks. Unique and shared contributors within and across tasks (the color-word Stroop, the Fruit Stroop, the counting go/no-go and the Wisconsin Card Sort Test) and components (WM, IC, WMIC) are discussed in an effort to determine how sources of variability may be related to WMIC functioning. / Ph. D.

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of handling peri-puberal heifers for 2 h each week on in-chute behavior, isolation behavior, and the time required for each heifer to leave the testing area; and to determine if the location of the facial hair whorl was associated with any of the behavior scores or social dominance order. Crossbred beef heifers (n = 146) were assigned to be walked through, sorted and moved through a chute for 2 hr each wk for 20 wk (HANDLED) or allowed to remain on pasture unless handling was required to treat an injury or disease (CONTROL). In-chute behavior, isolation behavior and exit times were observed and scored at the beginning (0 wk), middle (10 wk) and end of the experiment (20 wk). The facial hair whorl on each heifer was classified as being high (above the eyes), middle (between the eyes), or low (below the eyes). At the end of the experiment pairs of heifers in the HANDLED group competed for a feed source and a social dominance order was estimated. Weekly handling decreased in-chute behavior scores of heifers with facial hair whorl positions classified as medium or low, but not in heifers that exhibited a hair whorl high on their face. Cattle in the HANDLED treatment group which had an initial isolation score of 2 or 3 had the greatest improvement in temperament over the entire experiment when compared to CONTROL animals with the same initial isolation score. The calmest heifers were not negatively affected by the handling, while the most agitated animals in the HANDLED had a similar overall change in isolation score as those animals in the CONTROL group. This indicates that while weekly handling improved the temperament and behavior of heifers with intermediate temperament rating at the outset of the experiment, weekly handling seemed unnecessary for the calmest heifers and did not have a beneficial effect on the heifers rated as the most nervous and agitated at the beginning of the experiment. Social dominance rankings were positively correlated (P < 0.10) with final in-chute behavior scores, but not with the other behavior scores or heifer body weight. Cattle with the hair whorls in the middle of the forehead had higher mean social dominant rank than those with hair whorls higher or lower on the face (P < 0.03). Overall, the results of this experiment indicate that behavior testing can reveal differences in the temperament of heifers and that, other than the most nervous and agitated heifers; repeated handling could serve to improve the temperament of the animals. / Master of Science

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between temperament and styles of coping with daily hassles. Parents of 86 four-year-old children attending preschools and child care centers located in Southwest Virginia completed measures of temperament and coping. The Behavioral Style Questionnaire (BSQ), designed by Carey and McDevitt, was used to assess each child's temperament. Responses were used to categorize children as having easy, difficult, slow-to-warm-up, or intermediate temperaments. The Coping Styles Inventory for Preschool Children (CSIPC) was developed by the researcher to provide a profile of each child's coping style among the techniques of feeling, thinking, acting, and reacting. Once the data were collected, numerous statistical procedures were performed. These included Pearson Product Moment Correlations, Analyses of Variance, and Chi-squares. The findings indicated that children with difficult temperaments employed cognitive, or thinking, styles of coping when confronted with daily hassles. A better understanding of how children with different temperaments cope with hassles, and stress in general, should enable parents, child care workers, and all those working closely with children to communicate with them more effectively. New and improved methods for instructing children on effective coping techniques can be developed and implemented when professionals have a more accurate perception of the predominant methods currently used by these children. / Master of Science / incomplete_metadata

Estrous synchronization (ES) protocols enhances profitability of beef cow-calf operations by improving percentage of cows pregnant early in the breeding season and increasing kg of calf weaned per cow exposed. Many factors, however, influence the fertility of cattle enrolled to ES protocols. The overall goal of this work was to determine the influences of estrus expression and timing of artificial insemination (AI), as well as temperament on fertility of Bos taurus beef females exposed to ES protocols. Multiparous cows (n = 1,676) were enrolled to the 7-d CO-Synch+ Controlled internal drug releasing device (CIDR) protocol and cows expressing estrus were inseminated. Cows not expressing estrus received a gonadotropin-releasing hormone injection and were either inseminated immediately or delayed by 8 hours. Pregnancy rates were greater for cows expressing estrus to the protocol. Delaying AI for 8 hours in cows that failed to express estrus did not improve pregnancy rates. The effects of temperament on fertility of beef heifers enrolled to the 7-d CO-Synch+CIDR protocol were investigated. Heifers (n = 297) had temperament assessed by chute score and exit velocity, and classified as adequate or excitable. Hair and blood were collected for cortisol evaluation. Pregnancy rates were greater for adequate temperament heifers. Circulating cortisol concentrations were greater for excitable heifers, and overall plasma and hair cortisol concentrations were reduced from the start of the protocol to the end. Heifers with adequate temperament have improved fertility and ES protocols acclimated heifers and reduced plasma and hair cortisol concentrations due to handling. / Master of Science / Infertility is a major issue that affects profitability of beef cow-calf producers. Estrous synchronization (ES) protocols are a tool that allow artificial insemination (AI) without estrus detection and increases the proportion of females pregnant at the start of the breeding season, providing a strategy to improve profitability. However, females enrolled in the ES protocol and that fail to express estrus have reduced pregnancy rates when compared to females expressing estrus. Furthermore, beef females with excitable temperament have reduced fertility when compared to females with adequate temperament. The effects of delaying insemination to 8 hours post injection of gonadotropin-releasing hormone for animals failing to express estrus during ES were determined in beef multiparous cows. Cows expressing estrus had greater pregnancy rates compared to cows not expressing estrus, and delayed insemination did not improve pregnancy rates. To determine the effects of temperament on fertility heifers were enrolled in an ES protocol and had temperament determined as adequate or excitable based on chute score and exit velocity. Hair and blood samples were collected for cortisol evaluation. Excitable heifers had reduced pregnancy rates and greater circulating cortisol concentrations, but hair cortisol did not differ between temperaments. Overall cortisol profiles indicate that heifers became acclimated to handling during ES protocol. Development of ES that maximizes estrus expression prior to AI and selection of cattle with adequated temperament can enhance profitability of cow-calf operations.

The possible relationship between parental perceptions of playfulness and temperament was examined. Parents completed the Behavioral Style Questionnaire and the Child Behaviors Inventory. Children were tested using the Weschsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence to examine the effect of IQ on perceived playfulness. Fathers‘ ratings of playfulness were correlated with paternal ratings of approachability and maternal ratings of persistence. Mothers' ratings of playfulness were correlated with maternal ratings of persistence and adaptability and paternal ratings of persistence. Distractibility, intensity, and threshold were correlated with parental ratings of externality. No correlations were found between parental ratings of playfulness or externality. IQ scores were found to have no significant relationship to parental ratings of playfulness and temperament. Playfulness is a construct distinct from temperament but which can be explained, in part, by temperamental traits which, like externality, detract from the child's propensity to enter into a playful dispositional state. Externality seems to overlap with certain temperament traits which describe the child's propensity to react in particular ways to the context. Future experimental research is needed to assess the contextual influences on playful dispositions. Observational and interview data are also needed to assess whether parental differences in playfulness ratings are attributable to differential perceptions or to contextual variables or to an interaction between the two. / Ph. D.

The aim of this study was to design a Gestalt guideline to assist the Grade R teacher to identify, understand and manage the temperamental patterns of the Grade R child enabling optimal adjustment of the child. Intervention research (Design and Development model of Rothman & Thomas) as phase model was partly used as method for this study. A qualitative approach was followed during data collection. The needs and concerns in relation to temperament and temperamental patterns were explored through semi-structured interviews with 12 Grade R teachers. The identified problems were analyzed and in order to address the problems, information was gathered through relevant literature and consulting with professionals. Functional elements of successful models were identified and used in the Gestalt guideline. The study concludes at Phase 4 by designing a Gestalt guideline as preliminary intervention for the Grade R teachers. The Gestalt approach was used as cornerstone for the guideline. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie))