Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

True or false: Cognitive Dissonance is defined by the American Psychological Association (2018) as “an unpleasant psychological state resulting from inconsistency between two or more elements in a cognitive system.” 

A. True
B. False

Last week’s question was “‘during various phases of brain development through the onset of puberty, the process in which excess or redundant neurons and synaptic connections are eliminated to enable more efficient neural processing’ (American Psychological Association, 2018) is the process of:” The answer was pruning!

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

For many parents, reading books and stories, whether fictional or nonfictional, is a great joy for them to do. Of course, that is not the only benefit both parties get from storytelling, reading to children is one of the greatest sources of linguistic and phonological knowledge! 

In the study, researchers conducted a comparison of how well young children can learn words/vocabulary with picture books or child directed speech conversations. They found that the picture books contained more detailed, unique words than child directed speech conversations with adults. 

Therefore, using picture books with children can advance their mechanism of language learning and learn various, new vocabulary words. Child directed speech is still useful in linguistic input, however, there is more to learning language than simply talking to your child. 

To read more, click here! 

Ashley Bejar, UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

Art therapy is defined by the American Psychological Association as “therapeutic interventions that use artistic endeavors or mediums, such as music, poetry, dance, and drama, to facilitate communication and emotional expression, enhance self-awareness, and foster health and change.” The aim of art therapy is to facilitate children’s personal growth through the use of different medias; such as drawing, painting, digital art, etc. 

A major challenge when it comes to mental health is a person’s limited understanding and ability to safely express their feelings, and this can be enhanced in children due to their limited vocabulary and knowledge. When children are not able to express their negative feelings, not only emotional, but behavioral issues arise. A potential solution is art therapy!

This article referred to multiple studies. One included focused on the realization of one’s self concept and transformation. This included mask making to express feelings, transform clay volcanoes into mountains to relieve anger, and coloring. The results suggested improvements from the parent’s and child’s perspective. 

Overall, there are still a lot of unknowns of the benefits and factors affecting art therapy. This leaves a lot of room for future studies on the effectiveness of art therapy for children! 

If you want to read more about other studies of art therapy, click here!

Kaitlyn Vitucci
UConn KIDS, Research Assistant 

What builds a connection between people that fosters an environment where learning can prosper? In her TED Talk, Rita Pierson says that the key to building a connection between educators and students is belief. Genuine connections are what makes learning meaningful. She claims that no significant learning can occur without significant relationships.  

Pierson reminds educators that the most effective teaching happens when students know someone genuinely cares and is there to support them. She compares teachers to champions, and she insists that what every kid needs are a champion to be there for them. Pierson discusses how impactful it was to hear about her mother’s teaching techniques by being students’ biggest supporter, and how it made a true difference in those kids’ lives. 

 

Interested in learning more? Click this link here! 

 

Rachel Silverman 

UConn KIDS, Research Assistant 

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

This weeks question is… “during various phases of brain development through the onset of puberty, the process in which excess or redundant neurons and synaptic connections are eliminated to enable more efficient neural processing” (American Psychological Association, 2018) is the process of:

A. Pruning
B. Maturation
C. Habituation
D. Object permanence 

Last week’s question was… “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.’” The answer was false, that is an internal locus of control. An external locus of control is defined as those who “tend to behave in response to external

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

Occupational therapy is a very powerful tool that can and should be utilized to help children grow and develop. In the article “Role of Occupational Therapy in Pediatric Primary Care: Promoting Childhood Development” by Bonnie Riley and Stephanie de Sam Lazaro, occupational therapy is highlighted as a key support in early childhood development. The authors discussed multiple examples of how influential OT can be.  

By incorporating OT early on, developmental screenings can be done to detect potential challenges in the future. An advantage that OT provides is that practioners are able to adapt to each family cultural and personal needs to ensure meaningful support. Overall, the article discusses advocacy to integrate OT into primary care so that there is easier access to families. 

Interested in learning more? Click here! 

 

Rachel Silverman, UConn KIDS, Research Assistant 

In children’s development, schools are one of the most prominent places where children receive quality education. However, it is also a place where mental health is promoted, especially for young children where it is the most crucial time in their overall psychological development.  

The assessment that teachers give children in addition to the children’s own rating of their life satisfaction is key in understanding the mental health of the children. Furthermore, it is important to intervene to stop any adverse mental health conditions from worsening as early as possible! 

To read more, click here! 

Ashley Bejar, UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

Psychologist Anne Marie Albano shares her story of anxiety as a young girl, and how her current interest in childhood anxiety stemmed from her own personal experiences. Anxiety disorders, she explains, can start as early as four years old and can create great suffering in the child as well as their parents. If anxiety is left untreated during early childhood, it can lead to depression, substance abuse, and even suicidal ideation.   

She notes that her parents performed their own version of exposure therapy to get young Albano to overcome her anxiety. Such professional therapy is one of the most beneficial treatments for anxiety. Through her research, she discovered that the combination of exposure therapy sessions and SSRIs in adolescents can alleviate anxiety, but not fully get rid of it. Thus, she discovered that parents with good intentions for their children unintentionally cause more anxiety in them by not letting them take risks. 

Taking risks is a key factor in reducing anxiety. If they don’t, then they continue to get increasingly anxious and lower self-esteem. Compared to children able to take risks, they display more confidence and are able to manage situations. The best practice for parents is to help them face their fears and solve problems. Only then will the child be able to develop coping mechanisms and deal with situations on their own. 

To watch the full Ted Talk, click here! 

Ashley Bejar, UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

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!