Parents are constantly responding to their children’s emotions. It’s easy for them to turn to technology to help soothe their child when they’re upset or can’t calm down. So, what effect does technology have on child development? Is it okay for parents to turn to screen time?

Children can develop executive functions or processes for self-regulation. The only caveat is these functions must be learned through relationships and experiences. Unfortunately, media use immediately negatively impacts a child’s developing executive functioning and emotional reactivity. However, there’s research that supports the idea that only emotional reactivity is affected in the long term.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends less than one hour per day of media use for children 2-5. They also advise that children co-use educational media with parents. Co-using educational media with parents has been proven to improve levels of executive functioning in children. 

Aside from technology, many alternative calming methods can be used to help children regulate their emotions. The use of sensory toys, coloring, and playing calming music are all recommended. It is additionally recommended to help children identify their emotions and talk about them. This will help children create a habit of recognizing their emotions and learning how they make them feel.

Read the full link here

Emma Dineen

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

In a recent study done by the American Psychological Association, teens and adolescents who reduced their social media usage by 50% saw a significant increase in the positive attitude they had towards their body image, weight, and overall appearance. On average, teens spend about 6-8 hours per day on social media, and these hours exposes them to beauty ideals and standards set by the mass that for many, are unattainable. The study that they conducted only looked at the short-term effect of reducing social media usage and it proved to be a potential component in treating “body-image-related disturbances” and is greatly beneficial to the vulnerable population with heavy social media usage. They expanded their research to include any gender limitations as well, but found that gender did not play a part in the differences in the views on body image. Teens and adolescents can be encouraged to decrease their screen time, especially on social media sites, to show positive improvement in mood and view for a short period of time. Currently, the same team is trying to conduct a study where the long-term effects of this strategy can be analyzed to prove even more greater psychological benefits.

Read the full article here!: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230223132843.htm

Tulsi Patel,

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

According to the study, as Stockholm’s air has become cleaner, the younger generation’s lungs have become more robust. Cleaner air could benefit everyone’s health, which could have ramifications for cities worldwide. The harmful health effects of air pollutants on children’s lungs are well documented, but little is known about the impact of changes in air quality on lung development.

The health of children’s lungs is critical for their future risk of developing chronic lung diseases. According to the study’s co-authors, air quality in Stockholm has improved over the last 20 years, leading to decreased air pollutants and improved air quality in the city’s lungs. Between 2016 and 2019, air pollution levels in Stockholm fell by 60%, and there was a 20% reduction in the risk of having impaired lung function. People who live in areas with lower levels of air pollution have better lung development in childhood and early adulthood.

Poor air quality has a significant impact on children’s lung function because their lung function develops throughout their lives. Improving air quality can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases in children in the future.

 

Read the full article here

Hsin-Yu Huang

UConn KIDS Research Assistant

Positive parenting can be defined as putting more attention on a child’s positive aspects, such as their strengths and achievements, rather than on any potential negatives, like failures or weaknesses. Positive parenting uses principles of positive psychology to assist parents in developing solid, warm, and trusting relationships with their children. Positive parenting is different from dismissive parenting in that it utilizes boundary-setting and still involves the use of consequences for behaviors that break set boundaries. It also allows parents to set working expectations while maintaining a loving bond with their children.

Positive parenting has also been shown to have positive effects on children’s cognitive development because of how it takes children’s feelings, emotions, and responsivity into consideration through the use of positive modeling of behaviors. Recent research has shown that positive parenting helps improve cognitive skills such as mental abilities, language, and literacy skills. Overall, positive parenting puts emphasis on a child’s positive qualities and may promote cognitive development in children all the while providing them with a warm and accepting connection to their parents.

Kylie Robinshaw

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Read the full article here

Disgust is a fundamental emotion that is powerful enough to help keep us safe. It teaches us to avoid certain behaviors, environments, or foods. However, many children have a difficult time labeling disgust compared to other emotions, such as happiness or sadness. So, how exactly do children learn how to classify disgust?

Toddlers first learn about disgust through physical events, such as bad tastes. This physical awareness creates a foundation for children to further develop their sense of disgust. It’s not until around age 4 that children can fully grasp the concept of what disgust actually is. This often occurs by observing facial expressions. By the time children are in early elementary school they have a full understanding of disgust as an emotion. 

Caregivers must support children as they learn about disgust. Children often turn to their caregivers for approval or guidance on how to react in new situations. If caregivers clearly show children that certain things are “disgusting” the child will be more likely to avoid them.

While some attributes of disgust are learned through experience, such as eating new foods, teaching children what they should consider physically disgusting can protect them from harm.  

Read the full link here.

Emma Dineen

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

 

Several researches indicate that children can learn more effectively through game-based learning activities. Kids who participated in these activities showed improved knowledge, leadership, and creative abilities. These abilities are crucial in the digital age, and employing game-based learning activities can make it easier for kids to pick them up and improve them. Nevertheless, playing video games for entertainment and using them to learn is the same. Game-based learning is a method of using games to accomplish particular educational objectives; it is not thought of as entertainment.

This type of learning uses games to help students learn more effectively. Games are more engaging than traditional methods, making them a good choice for students who struggle to stay focused in class or need more motivation to learn. Research has shown that game-based learning can lead to improved learning outcomes, including increased engagement and motivation. Additionally, game-based learning apps often use repetitive play, reinforcement, and goal-based learning to help students learn specific skills more effectively. This makes them especially suited for students who are interested in pursuing a career in a specific field. Finally, game-based learning is accessible to students from anywhere, making it a great choice for families who travel frequently or have difficulty accessing traditional learning resources. 

However, some may find that using game-based learning techniques can have negative consequences and may not be as effective as other learning methods. Children spend too much time playing video games, which can be frustrating for parents and caregivers and lead to tiredness in students. This can be hard to predict, as children can get frustrated when new levels or badges are not reached quickly. This can also lead to tension between students, as some are not as successful as others.

In conclusion, game-based learning can help children develop skills that will be useful in their future careers, such as problem-solving and critical thinking. These skills are learned through online game-based learning, which is a form of learning that takes place in a digital world. Teachers and researchers see many benefits to using game-based learning in the digital age, with a positive outlook on what’s ahead for children.

Read the full article here

Hsin-Yu Huang

UConn KIDS Research Assistant

There has been new research that supports positive parenting in the cognitive functioning in children. Positive parenting relates to positive psychology, which is the psychology focused on positive behaviors and strengths in order to build meaning and purpose. In this type of parenting, parents are encouraged to pay more attention to good behaviors and advocate for empathy and building stronger relationships. They are encouraged to set limits with reasonable consequences, establish realistic expectations, model behavior, and express more love towards their children. This parenting changes over time and should be adaptable to age, temperament, neurodevelopment differences, and culture. It helps nurture cognitive responsivity and with attention, focus, and communication. According to Psychology Today, “positive parenting interventions were effective in enhancing mental abilities and language”. Currently, there is a positive trend that parents are started to move from traditional parenting to positive parenting, as there have been positive results associated with it.

Read the full article here!: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/going-beyond-intelligence/202302/positive-parenting-and-childrens-cognitive-development

Tulsi Patel

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

The multiple demand network in adults and children starting from the age of 4 have clinically shown similarities when focused on solving tough problems. The network helps with focus and attention, memory, and solving difficult problems. This network is located in the frontal and parietal cortices. Another similarity that was noticed was that children from ages 4-12 had different demand and language networks, just as adults do. When tasked with a challenging task, both children and adults will have activated demand networks but inactivated language networks. There are, however, some differences in brain activity between adults and children: the response time was delayed significantly in children which confirms that it takes years to fully develop the brain to an “adult level”. These findings help researchers identify how disruptions in the neurodevelopment of cognitive control can differ in those with brain disorders such as ADHD, conduct disorders, and other injuries. This will help with development of new material that can help those with issues with cognitive control and will lead in future enhancements in the equipment that can do so. This study also helps to advocate for those with said issues and allow for more researchers to participate in these studies.

Read the full article here!: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230213082152.htm

Tulsi Patel

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Children learn through observation and experimentation; when they learn something that surprises them, they seek answers through exploration and experimentation. Children 6 and up are more likely to seek answers to the questions they hold about the world, but there has been little research on why they do. 

Research done in collaboration with Harvard University and the University of Toronto shows that children become more doubtful of what adults tell them as they age. In their first study, the researchers presented child participants aged 4-6 years-old with three objects: a rock, a sponge, and a hacky sack. The children were randomly assigned to be told something that goes against what they have learned about the world, (“This rock is soft,”), or told something that matches their knowledge (“This rock is hard”). After hearing these statements, the researchers would ask the children a question regarding the properties of the object (“Is this rock hard or soft?”). It was found that children’s judgments about the rock aligned for the most part with what the researcher told them. The researcher then left the room, granting children the opportunity to investigate the rock; most children in the study tested the researchers’ surprising claim. 

In their second study, the researchers presented children aged 4-7 years-old with eight vignettes, and were told that an adult made a surprising claim about each. They were then asked what another child should do about the claim and what the motivation behind the child’s actions would be. Older children were more likely to suggest that the child explores the claim, showing that as children age, they are more likely to investigate questionable claims. 

Where this line of research still has work to be done, one thing stands out: children, as they age, do not believe everything they are told. 

Kylie Robinshaw

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Read the full article here 

Babies learn so much from looking at faces. At the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, many parents around the world began to worry that face masking could hinder child development and facial recognition. A study done by researchers at the University of California, Davis, alleviated this concern and found that babies can still form memories of faces even when they’re masked.

In this study, researchers used eye tracking to study the impact face masks have on facial recognition in infants. With the background knowledge that babies look at unfamiliar images longer than familiar ones, the study found that babies could recognize a masked face when it was unmasked. However, babies had a hard time recognizing masked faces that they initially saw unmasked. This was something many other individuals also experienced. 

Facial recognition is a crucial part of cognitive development. It helps babies learn how to communicate, understand emotions, establish relationships, and navigate the world around them. Babies are continuing to learn and thrive today, even with face masking. 

Read the full article here.