https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIZ8PkLMMUo

There are quite a wide array of factors that are important in influencing childhood development. While an argument could be made for which of these factors is the “most” influential, Tom Weisner poses the thought that location is of the upmost importance regarding a child’s development. He goes on to elaborate on a number of factors that are heavily influenced by the location in which a child is raised such as financial stability, social settings, religious beliefs, and many other aspects of life.

Weisner discusses the concept of WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) societies throughout his talk and provides examples of multiple differences between “WEIRD” and “non-WEIRD” societies. While Weisner does not necessarily say one type of society is “better” than the other, however, he does discuss a number of privileges often afforded to children amongst WEIRD societies. For example, despite only 12% of the world being considered as “WEIRD”, 90% of research within the field of psychology takes place within these WEIRD societies. This means that the vast majority of advancements made within the field of psychology are based on and likely more applicable to WEIRD cultures.

One interesting aspect of non WEIRD communities that Weisner highlights is the emphasis on collaboration. Weisner goes on to elaborate on how non WEIRD societies and civilizations are less focused on individualism and place a higher degree of emphasis on community. It is common for child care to be more socially distributed amongst these groups i.e parents play less of an influence on a child’s development as it is more common for extended family members and members of the community to play a major role in the raising of a child.

Towards the end of his TED Talk, Weisner makes a simple yet profound statement on just how important location is in a child’s growth. While wrapping up his thoughts on his primary claim regarding this belief and discussing a variety of communities, Weisner poses the question, “What kind of child is considered desirable and morally important in that community?” This concise statement perfectly wraps up Weisners theory in a powerful manner by contrasting what is valued amongst different societies. A child with traits that could be seen as advantageous in one society could be at a major disadvantage in another. A child’s gender, sexuality, religious beliefs and social attitudes will all have a varying degree of influence depending on the culture in which they are raised. 

Overall, Weisner provides a unique perspective on the complex question of what is the most important factor in childhood development.

Children born very prematurely or with very low birth weight are at a higher risk of experiencing developmental delays, making it crucial to understand the factors that influence their growth and development

Key factors include how early the baby was born, how much they weighed, and any brain injuries they had after birth are key factors in whether they will have cognitive issues later. Other components like the family’s living situation, maternal education, and health problems that arise after birth also play a significant role in cognitive outcomes.

Early identification of children at risk and prompt interventions are essential for supporting their cognitive development. Despite advances in medical care that have increased survival rates, these children still face a higher likelihood of developmental delays, with both prenatal and postnatal factors impacting their outcomes.

To read more, click here!

Jess Vo, Uconn KIDS Research Assistant

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

This week’s question is: “The ability of the nervous system to change in response to experience or environmental stimulation” (American Psychological Association, 2018) is called… 

1. Neuroregeneration
2. Behavioral plasticity
3. Neural Plasticity
4. Reflexive Conditioning

 

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

Not all families send their children to preschools. For some kids, they may have started their formal education in kindergarten whereas others may have had a head start in early childhood educational programs. There are a few states that require children to attend preschool, but most of the USA leave it as an option for families to participate or not. 

Evidence has shown that teaching education and social skills to children before the age of five years old can have many benefits to children’s learning. Positive effects include improvement in language, math, literacy, and socioemotional outcomes. 

Investing in preschool programs to further improve the quality can also positively impact children’s education and life skills. With the evidence that preschools themselves can provide benefits to young kids, the better the quality of preschools, the more we can observe improvements in children’s development! 

To read more, click here! 

Ashley Bejar, UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

Emotional regulation, as defined within this study, is “the process of modulating the occurrence, duration, and intensity of internal states of feeling (both positive and negative) and emotion-related physiological processes.” This study was based on the framework of the tripartite model, which states that parents influence a child’s emotional regulation through 3 mechanisms. Those being observations of parent’s emotion regulation, emotion-related parenting practice, and emotional climate of the family.

It was found that parent’s emotional support, positive affect, emotion coaching, and use of joint strategies were associated with better emotional regulation within children. Conversely, it was found that parents’ psychological control, permissiveness, expressed anger, and criticism were associated with higher difficulties in regulating emotions. 

Ways found to support better emotional regulation have been through emotional support and a secure parent-child relationship. This allows for children to feel they are able to freely express their emotions and is an important step in learning emotion regulation. Parenting that has defined rules and limits help children know what to expect when it comes to emotional expression within their home, and this can help children learn ways to express their emotions in ways that are socially acceptable. For example, knowing it is okay to feel anger but that it is not okay to hurt someone because of it. It has also been found that parents who help coach their children on emotions, through problem solving, labeling emotion, and comforting their child, can increase successful emotional regulation! 

If you want to read more on ways to facilitate children’s emotional regulation, click here!

Kaitlyn Vitucci
UConn KIDS, Research Assistant 

A few posts back, we discussed the benefits of being bilingual from an early age. In this TED Talk by Megan Alubicki Flick, she further explores how multilingualism can transform people, specifically through education. Yes, the majority of schools require students to take a language, but these courses rarely dig deep enough for true language acquisition to develop. But why is it so important to learn a language in school?  

Megan Flick encourages educators to view multilingualism as a valuable tool and asset. Schools can make use of the different languages their students speak, creating a space where all languages are valued and used to improve learning. Bilingual education models, where students are encouraged to strengthen both their native and additional languages, are proven to boost academic success, improve cultural awareness, and prepare students to thrive in a globalized world. 

Bilingual and multilingualism individuals tend to have stronger cognitive skills, such as improved memory, problem-solving, and multitasking abilities. From a cultural perspective, multilingualism serves as a bridge between communities and cultures that foster inclusive environments.  

Interested in reading more? Click the link here to watch the full TED Talk! 

 

Rachel Silverman    

UConn KIDS, Research Assistant 

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

This weeks’ question is…True or false: Being Love, or B-Love, is defined by the American Psychological Association (2018) as “…in Abraham Maslow’s humanistic psychology, a form of love characterized by mutuality, genuine concern for another’s welfare and pleasure, and reduced dependency, selfishness, and jealousy.”

A. True
B. False

Last weeks’ question was “True or false: ‘When people feel coerced into a certain behavior, they will react against the coercion, often by demonstrating an increased preference for the behavior that is restrained, and may perform the behavior opposite to that desired.’ (American Psychological Association, 2018) This experience is called Reactance Theory.” The answer was true!

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

Temper tantrums are an almost universal experience for parents of young children. They’re dramatic, loud, and often emotionally draining. That being said, they’re also a normal part of early childhood development. Many parents may ask, why do temper tantrums happen? The simple answer is that young children are challenged by emotions they are not yet equipped to handle. As they encounter new emotions, they struggle to communicate them properly, leading to a temper tantrum. 

This article focuses on normalizing these outbursts and reassuring parents that they should not be overly concerned. Yes, if these issues persist past a certain age, they can indicate an underlying issue, but that is not always the case. From a psychological standpoint, tantrums are a child’s emotional release. Some techniques have been proposed to help parents manage these temper tantrums. Examples include staying calm, creating structure through routines, and redirecting energy by offering distractions. It’s important for parents to remember that tantrums are a phase, not a permanent behavior pattern. 

Interested in reading more? Click the link here to read the full article! 

 

Rachel Silverman 

UConn KIDS, Research Assistant 

Emma Wedell is a fourth year Ph.D. student in Social Psychology at UConn. She is working with the Teen Beliefs about Prejudice and Discrimination in Social Life (IRB protocol: H24-0059) lab, with Dr. Rhiannon Smith! 

Fun facts about Emma are that her favorite movie is Monsters, Inc.! Emma and her sister recite their favorite quotes often, one of them is “Put that thing back where it came from or so help me!” Another fun fact is her favorite ice cream flavor at UConn Dairy Bar is mint oreo!

Emma studies the impacts of prejudice and discrimination on people’s lives, especially how people respond when something unfair happens to either themselves or others. Most of this research focuses on adult perspectives, but she also believes it is so important that psychologists listen to teens’ voices! Emma believes the work in the Teen Beliefs about Prejudice and Discrimination in Social Life lab is so exciting because teens will have the opportunity to share their thoughts directly in a conversation with each other. Additionally, the insights they can share will be extremely valuable for the scientific community. 

If you want to check out the lab, click the link below!
https://social-development-lab.psychology.uconn.edu/

 

Bilingualism in early childhood is more than just learning two languages- it sets a child up for success. Some parents worry that learning two languages might confuse kids or delay their speech, but science proves otherwise. Research shows that while learning two languages simultaneously may delay certain linguistic milestones, this is temporary and does not indicate a deficit. 

Bilingualism in general offers many cognitive advantages, such as enhanced executive function, better problem-solving skills, and improved ability to switch between tasks. When these skills are developed at an early age, the more proficient they become. These cognitive benefits extend beyond language, helping them excel in other areas of life. The research shows that the key to success is providing children with consistent exposure to both languages. This can be done through Conversations, storytelling, and playtime in both languages. 

 

Interested in reading more? Click here! 

Rachel Silverman 

UConn KIDS, Research Assistant