Majority of the children in the US spend most of their time in child-care, where physical activity is an important aspect of their day and development. As this study mentions, the levels of physical activity vary and the aim of the study was to figure out why. 

The overall conclusion was that physical activity may vary due to the clothing worn by children. The two noted major themes were: children’s clothing was a barrier to children’s physical activity in child-care and clothing choices were a significant source of conflict between parents and child-care providers. 

Inappropriate clothing, such as lack of a winter coat or inappropriate foot-wear, could prevent the entire class from being able to go outside. Conversely, this issue of clothing can lead to conflict between parents and teachers, an example given was a child lost a piece of jewelry and the parent was upset with the teacher because of it.

The implications of this study were that schools should make a clear policy about appropriate clothing for the children, as well as educating parents on the importance of play.

If you want to read more, click here!

Kaitlyn Vitucci
UConn KIDS, Research Assistant 

 

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

This weeks question is…True or False: As defined by the American Psychological Association (2018), those with an external locus of control “tend to behave in response to internal states and intentions and to perceive their life outcomes as arising from the exercise of their own agency and abilities.” 

A. True
B. False

Last weeks question was “A mesosystem is defined as ‘the groups and institutions outside the home (ex. day care, school, a child’s peer group) that influence the child’s development and interact with aspects of the microsystem (ex. relations in the home)'” The answer was true!

Tune in next week to find out the answer to this weeks question!

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

This weeks question is…True or false: A mesosystem, according to the American Psychological Association (2018), is defined as “the groups and institutions outside the home (ex. day care, school, a child’s peer group) that influence the child’s development and interact with aspects of the microsystem (ex. relations in the home)”

A. True
B. False 

Last weeks question was “What is an example of multifinality: ‘any one component may function differently depending on the organization of the system in which it operates.'” The answer was A, “the same childhood experience can lead to different outcomes in adulthood”!

Tune in next week to find out the answer to this weeks question!

Most young children want a pet at some point in time, however what are the effects of taking on a new member of the family? 

Children learn through experiences, and having a pet at home can help increase responsibility and empathetic skills. 

A study was conducted to find the connection between empathetic tendencies and having a pet at home. A Personal Information Form was filled out to find out information about the children and their families and an Empathetic Tendency Scale was used to determine the empathetic tendencies within the children. The overall results found that having a pet at home was associated with a significant difference in the mean scores of empathetic tendencies. The results were interpreted as children are given responsibilities when having a pet, which is important factor contributing to empathy. 

If you have a child at home, it might be a good idea to consider taking on a furry friend as another member of your family!

If you want to read more, click here!

Kaitlyn Vitucci
UConn KIDS, Research Assistant

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

This weeks question is…What is an example of multifinality: “any one component may function differently depending on the organization of the system in which it operates.”

A. The same childhood experience can lead to different outcomes in adulthood
B. People with different experiences in childhood can develop the same mental health disorder

Last weeks question was “True or false: a “rooting reflex” is defined as “an automatic, unlearned response in newborns to a gentle stimulus on the cheek or corner of the mouth.” A newborn will turn their heads and make a sucking motion.” The answer was true!

Tune in next week to find out the answer to this weeks question!

There is no doubt that teens value their friends and what they think of them. In fact, friendship is considerably one of the most important parts of adolescence. High quality friendships have been related to positive developmental outcomes, as well as mental health. Conversely, quality friendships can help to protect against the negative effects of hardships. But what about the way these friendships actually affect the brain itself?

Interestingly, there seems to be a connection between reward and friendships. There were a few areas of activation when a brain imaging study was done, having teens visualize their friends and having them determine whether they would approach them. However, two of note were the ventral striatum(VS) and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). The VS has been well established on its role in reward in the brain, but the role of the VS and vmPFC has been hypothesized to form a valuation system in the brain. This means that they guide decision making by responding to rewards. These areas can be more activated during the sharing of emotions, such as watching an emotional video together. 

If you want to read more about how friendships affect the brain, click here!

Kaitlyn Vitucci
UConn KIDS, Research Assistant

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

This weeks question is…True or false: a “rooting reflex” is defined as “an automatic, unlearned response in newborns to a gentle stimulus on the cheek or corner of the mouth.” A newborn will turn their heads and make a sucking motion. 

A. True
B. False

Last weeks question was “True or false: Maturation is defined as ‘an increase, through experience, of problem-solving ability.'” The answer was false, the correct term is learning!

Tune in next week to find out the answer to this weeks question!

Psychologists have been interested in the influence of early musical training on executive functions, especially when musical training began during the “sensitive period”. The sensitive period is a time when children are sensitive to specific stimuli or interactions, this is similar to the critical period, however the distinction is that skills learned during the sensitive period can be learned later in life; such as musical training. Executive functions are defined as “a set of cognitive skills involved in goal-directed problem solving, including working memory, inhibitory control, and set shifting/flexibility.” 

A study was conducted to determine executive functions’ association with musical training, and whether there was a sensitive period involved.Two experiments conducted: The first experiment had children who were musically trained and those who were not complete tasks, and the results of the first experiment showed that children who were musically trained had an advantage in attention and response inhibition, and working memory. The second experiment tested the difference between those who were musical trained from a young age and those who were musically trained at a later age, and the results for those who were musically trained earlier were conclusive with the first experiment, but those who were musically trained later did better in attention inhibition compared to those who are not musically trained. 

This study highlighted the benefits of being musically trained at an early age, however it is never too late to learn a new skill and experience the benefits that come with it!

If you want to read more, click here! 

Kaitlyn Vitucci
Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

True or false: Maturation is defined as “an increase, through experience, of problem-solving ability.” 

A. True
B. False

 

Last weeks question was…”True or false: The brain’s “critical period” refers to a time period in which an organism displays a heightened sensitivity to certain environmental stimuli and it may be impossible to develop these functions later in life– such as developing language. ” The answer is true!

Tune in next week to find out the answers to this weeks question!

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

This weeks’ question is…True or false: The brain’s “critical period” refers to a time period in which an organism displays a heightened sensitivity to certain environmental stimuli and it may be impossible to develop these functions later in life– such as developing language. 

A. True
B. False

Last weeks question was ” _______ deals with how cognitive processes— such as reasoning, perception and memory— change over time.” The answer was Cognitive Development!

Tune in next week to find out the answer to this weeks question!