The developmental aspect of the self-concept has not been investigated in Jordan. The main aim of this study is to develop a research project which will yield first results and indicate further research to be carried out in the future. Theories and studies of the self-concept during adolescence particularly in W. Europe and the U.S.A. indicate the occurence of various developments, but do not entirely agree as to their nature. This may be in part due to different conceptualizations of the selfconcept, or to different reArch methods. This thesis explores this question and developS an empirical study in the light of such considerations. The main interest of this study is to explore the development of the self concept during adolescence in Jordan. Two open ended questionnaires were designed to achieve this purpose. Random sampling of students [225 males, 200 females] at the ages of 13, 15, and 17 years provided the adolescents for this study. Their reported present possible selves and possible future occupational selves were studied at each age level. At all levels sex differences were investigated. For 17 years olds differences between teaching groups were also explored. Sex differences in approach to education and vocation were considered in the analysis. 2 Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the responses of the selfconcept descriptions mentioned by the students show certain differences in relation to the age, sex, and teaching groups. The findings are discussed in relation to the concept of unitary or multiple self-concept, attention being given to the salience of different aspects of the self in different contexts. Suggestions are made for follow-up investigations.

Previous studies of children's use of problem-solving strategies have been cross-sectional, and narrowly defined. These have described age-related development across a wide range of cognitive competencies. Parallel with this child development literature, studies in both humans and animals have linked active reduction of error in problem-solving to inhibitory function of a mature and intact hippocampus, and also to the frontal lobes. The present study was designed to investigate the development of availability and use of strategies by children in problem-solving tasks, and whether development of inhibitory ability is the underlying and enabling process for this. 96 children aged 3 years (N=32), 5 years CN=32), and 7 years (N=32), fully representative of sex and socioeconomic status, were each given a battery of six experimental tasks, (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Spontaneous Alternation, Oddity Problem, Two-Choice Discrimination Learning, Three-Choice Discrimination Learning and Attributes Task) on four separate, equal interval testing occasions over two years. Pre-tests of non-verbal intelligence, verbal comprehension and conceptual tempo were administered, prior to the first testing. The tasks were selected, following pilot study, to elicit behavioural evidence of problem-solving strategies, which might be dominant at different ages. Strategy was defined as a reflection of hypothesis forming and testing in a problem for solution. The results show age-related changes in the use of perseveration and alternation strategies, with indications of more complex strategies available to the 7 year old group. Strategies, once available, were differentially used in tasks within a testing, and appear to be linked to the cognitive demand of a task. In discussion, it is argued that the results from the use of the longitudinal design support a concept that a further functional system of inhibitory ability is developing from about 4 years of age. Both the hippocampus and frontal lobes appear to be implicated in this system which is seen as the process underlying the development of planning ability and active reduction of error. It is finally concluded that the emergent system of inhibitory ability is not unitary, but an elaboration of earlier abilities. This is reflected by the changes observed in availability and use by children of strategies for problem-solving. The development of their repertoire thus appears to be by the addition of new strategies, and their elaboration.

No description available.

No description available.

Over the past 25 years, there has been tremendous interest in the development of children’s ability to reason about others’ mental states, or “theory of mind”. Much research has explored children's understanding of situational cues that lead to knowledge, but only recently has research begun to assess children's understanding of person-specific differences in knowledge. A number of studies (Birch, Vauthier & Bloom, 2008; Jaswal & Neely, 2006; Koenig, Clément & Harris, 2004) have recently demonstrated that at least by age 3 children pay attention to others' history of accuracy and use it as a cue when deciding from whom to learn. However, the nature and scope of children's interpretations of other's prior accuracy remains unclear. Experiment 1 assessed whether 4- and 5-year-olds interpret prior accuracy as indicative of knowledge, as opposed to two other accounts that do not involve epistemic attributions. This experiment revealed that preschool children can revise their tendency to prefer to learn from a previously accurate informant over an inaccurate one when presented with evidence regarding each informant's current knowledge state. Experiment 2 investigated how broadly a person's history of accuracy influences children's subsequent inferences, and showed that 5-year-olds (but not 4-year-olds) use information about an individual's past accuracy to predict her knowledge in other related domains as well as her propensity for prosocial or antisocial behaviour. Overall, children's performance in these experiments suggests that both 4- and 5-year-olds interpret others' history of accuracy as indicative of knowledge; however, 4-year-olds make a more restricted attribution of knowledge while 5-year-olds make a more stable, trait-like attribution. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for research on theory of mind and more broadly on children's social and cognitive development. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

In the present study, the Bene Anthony Family Relations Test was used to measure children's perceptions of their family members and a friend. Comparisons were made between the perceptions of: a) a group of disturbed children and one of their normal siblings (clinic pair), b) a group of normal children and one of their normal siblings (normal pair), and c) the clinic and normal pairs of children. No differences were found between the perceptions of disturbed children and their normal siblings or between the perceptions of the two normal siblings. The clinic pair differed from the normal pair in two respects: I) the clinic pair expressed more negative feelings toward their siblings, and 2) the clinic pair indicated more reliance on their friend. All groups perceived their parents similarly. It was concluded that more attention ought to be paid to the role of siblings and extrafamilial members. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Attachment behaviors in young children experiencing two primary caregivers were studied in group homes organized for single mothers. The nine subjects ranged in age from five to 27 months. They were observed separately with their mothers and with the adult in charge of their group home during the day. Only small qualitative differences in the adult-child interaction were observed. Little fear of strangers and separation anxiety were seen. The theoretical implications of results for the concept of attachment were discussed. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Data from 7 subtests of the MPI were analyzed for 120 kindergarten children in a low socio-economic area of Greater Vancouver. The subtests were selected as being representative of components of a mental ability profile (MAP) and included categories of IQ, spatial conceptualization, abstract reasoning, verbal comprehension and generic and word production. Classification of the data into 2 levels of age (5 yrs. 3 mos. - 5 yrs. 10 mos.; 5 yrs. 11 mos. - 6 yrs. 6 mos.), 2 levels of score on the MPI (4 - 7; 8 -11), and 3 levels of ethnic group (Chinese, Italian and Canadian) gave 2 contrasting MAPS. The Chinese MAP was distinctively different from the Italian and Canadian MAPS which closely resembled each other. Significant differences appeared (p<.01) for all categories between ethnic groups with the exception of verbal comprehension. Age was not a significant factor in any category. Scoring levels were significantly different (p<.01) but each ethnic group retained its MAP at both low and high levels of scoring. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Ninety-six children aged 4 to 9 years performed a classificatory task using simple line drawings of human figures. It was predicted that the youngest children would group the pictures according to overall body shape, with an increasing tendency with age for classification based on facial expression. This prediction was based on previous studies which find young children unable to analyze and "filter" information in a stimulus array in such a way as to utilize component parts. The results supported the prediction in general, the major exception being 5 year old girls, who classified the pictures mainly according to facial expression. Flexibility in performance increased with age. Suggestions were made for further research on the basis of the findings. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

The study, by exploiting Thomas S. Kuhn’s view of scientific development, attempted to establish a theoretical basis for teaching and learning science in the classroom. At the present preliminary stage of the exploratory study, the writer concentrated on Kuhn's historical pattern of science in which paradigms form research traditions separated by scientific revolutions resulting in new and more sophisticated views of the field. The writer felt that the acquisition of views of natural phenomena by children might follow some sort of evolutionary, Kuhnian-like pattern of paradigmatic investigatory activities. These activities would be separated by transitional periods of effort or paradigm-like shifts resulting in new and incommensurate ways of seeing natural phenomena. To facilitate the recognition of such a pattern of intellectual behaviour by children, the writer formulated a teacher role based on ideas drawn from Kuhn. The present study attempted to provide apparent examples of children's modes of thought and speculative bases: for some of their actions. By observing children's investigatory activities, involving sinking and floating objects, the writer found some support for what he has termed child-paradigms or points of view about natural events. All children, for example appeared to hold a child-paradigm that objects sink when filled with water. Support was also found for Kuhn's suggestion that children's views often show striking parallels to those of Aristotelians. In this case, the learners appeared to see water as an external, Aristotelian-like, motive force which causes objects to sink or move from their natural floating positions. During the course of their activities, all children appeared to encounter numerous novel observations or anomalies -- facts and findings inconsistent with their expectations. Applying the point of view that objects sink when filled with water, all learners discovered that the plastic straw floated. The assimilation of anomaly, in one instance, resulted in what has been termed a child-paradigm shift. During this experience the child's earlier view that floating objects do not displace water was replaced by a more sophisticated view involving water displacement. Although only one child-paradigm shift or perceptual-conceptual transposition seemed reasonably evident in the study, the writer felt that this concept was useful in accounting for children's acquisition of modern scientific views. He speculated that a modified teacher role could facilitate shifts in children's perception. In addition, he speculated about the potential usefulness of the study for classroom teaching and suggested several problems for future investigation related to curriculum development. / Education, Faculty of / Graduate