Parents who are in high conflict with one another, divorced, or in court child custody may have their kid(s) engage in parental alienation, where the child strongly prefers to be with one parent and refuses to engage at all with the other parent. A common form of parental alienation is when the preferred parent encourages their child to negatively engage with and alienate the nonpreferred parent, which leads to a one-sided, unhealthy phenomenon. 

Factors of parental alienation can influence negative beliefs and resistance in a child’s relationship with their alienated parent. If the child sees one of their parents’ hostile with the other, they can internalize those negative emotions and place them on the nonpreferred parent. 

Parental alienation can lead to short- and long-term negative impacts on the child, mental health issues in the alienated parent, and damage the overall parent-child familial relationship. It’s important to understand the reasoning behind a child’s alienation from a certain parent, and to find methods to address it. More research is needed in regards to the psychology of parental alienation! 

To read more, click here! 

Ashley Bejar, UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

Terms such as “sperm donor,” “deadbeat dad,” and “baby daddy” are often used in reference to fathers who help conceive a child but do not actively participate in the child’s life. However, the term “co-parent” offers a more positive side to fathers who are in their child’s life, even if not always living together. 

Joel Leon, this Ted Talk speaker, says that co-parenting involves many sacrifices, but the weight of raising a child will not fall on one parent alone. Co-parenting is an important thing for parents to do for their child in order for them to have both parents present, which benefits the child’s well-being greatly.  

He acknowledges the struggles of single mothers, even mentioning his own personal experiences and upbringing. Therefore, he encourages parents to play an equal role in their child’s life and to remember that being a parent is a gift, not an inconvenience. 

To watch the full Ted Talk, click here! 

Ashley Bejar, UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

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!

Do you remember when you were young and eager to learn more about how to read your favorite book or how to count to 100? These exciting new abelites set the stage for learning more concepts and skills through various math and literary curriculums. But what is a way that these two domains of learning could be combined?

Recent studies have examined the effects of STEM education in early elementary grades as a form of curriculum. Specifically, this study examines the impact of engagement and ability for learning various modes of curriculum surrounding robotics in kindergarten. With the help of developmentally approximate technology, this curriculum can act as another tool for children to explore the world of robotics and expand on a new interest. This paper addresses both the positives and negatives of this type of curriculum, allowing you to really think about a new way children can learn and explore in the classroom!

To read today’s article, click here!

Mikayla Clemens

Research assistant, UConn KIDS

Sign language has been shown to help successful communication in individuals unable to communicate vocally. Additionally, it can be a tool to develop communication for those under 2 years old before vocal language is developed. In the early stages of life, both parents and infants experience frustration due to an infant’s inability to properly communicate their needs. A common skill that can be used to bridge that gap is the use of American Sign Language.  

In this article, a few researchers decided to conduct a study where they taught infants signs tied to specific needs or actions. The results showed that infants who were trained in sign language at that young age possessed stronger communication skills between them and their caregivers. It can also contribute to evaluating young children who may be at risk for behavioral problems.  

To learn more about Sign Language and childhood language development, click here! 

Rachel Silverman, UConn KIDS Research Assistant

Have you ever wondered at what point in a child’s development they begin to gain social awareness? Developmental psychologist Sara Valencia Botto explores this concept in her TED Talk. What Botto discovered through her research was that children develop these skills much earlier than we might expect.

Botto studied children starting at 14 months old and observed that even toddlers begin to adjust their behavior when they know that they are being watched. Behaviors such as sharing when someone is watching them reflect a deeper understanding of social dynamics at this young age. The speaker invites the audience to think about the values that we broadcast in our day-to-day interactions and how they might shape the behaviors of others around you.

Botto goes into detail on how understanding this early emergence of social awareness can help parents, educators, and caregivers create an environment fostering healthy social growth. To watch this full TED Talk, click here!

 

Rachel Silverman, UConn KIDS Research Assistant

Did you know that maternal mental health has been recognized as globally significant? Well, this is true! There is lots of research regarding negative mental health in mothers, however not much so in the positive sense, which is important as it aids in the development of children and aids the mother regarding parenting.  

Positive mental health can be measured via a hedonic (positive emotions/life satisfaction) or eudaimonia (self-acceptance/engagement) perspective. When a pregnant mother has high self-esteem or optimism, their babies are born with higher birth weight. Other observations revealed that many advantages happen while the baby is still in utero! 

Due to new research of maternal mental health, there is more overall knowledge of the well-being of their children. The mental health of mothers can possibly affect the physiological and psychological behaviors of children. More research is required for a more direct answer, however with little research about maternal mental health, we can see many types of impacts on mother and child. 

To read more, click here! 

Ashley Bejar, UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

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!

Children’s early experiences physically shape their brain, but this goes both ways for positive and negative experiences. The negative effects of chronic stress have been well established, and it is important to remember that this does not only impact adults but children as well. However, there is no need to fear because of the plasticity of children’s brains; which refers to the brain’s ability to change and adapt.

The brain’s response to chronic stress can “be buffered and even reversed” because of plasticity, and early intervention is a crucial aspect. Warm and nurturing relationships in particular have been found to help counteract the neurobiological response to stress, and warm and nurturing relationships do not only have to be between biological parents. Intervention programs have been designed to do exactly this, and so far the results have been promising.

 

If you want to read more click Here! 

Kaitlyn Vitucci

UConn KIDS, Research Assistant