Annual Editions: Child Growth and Development 10/11 Preface Correlation Guide Topic Guide Internet References UNIT 1: Conception to Birth Unit Overview 1. New Calculator Factors Chances for Very Premature Infants, Denise Grady, The New York Times, April 17, 2008 Researchers have developed a statistical tool to determine the chance of a premature baby's survival and the likelihood of birth defects. Gender and birth weight are key factors in helping babies born as early as 22 to 25 weeks survive. The calculations influence medical decisions that are to be taken for the care of these premature infants. 2. Success at Last, Deborah Kotz, U.S. News & World Report, May 7, 2007 Couples fighting infertility have some control over conception through the alteration of diet, exercise, and stress levels. Many factors in these areas can affect ovulation and hormone levels in women, thus influencing fertility, but men's habits matter as well. UNIT 2: Cognition, Language, and Learning Unit Overview Part A. Early Cognition and Physical Development 3. Infants' Differential Processing of Female and Male Faces, Jennifer L. Ramsey-Rennels and Judith H. Langlois, Current Directions in Psychological Science, April 2006 This article about infants' processing of faces discusses infants' difficulty in forming a male prototype and also the fact that infants preferred female faces to male faces. This is explained in terms of environmental experiences with female faces and evolutionary dispositions. 4. The Other-Race Effect Develops during Infancy, David J. Kelly et al., Psychological Science, December 2007 Additional support for environmental influences on face processing is presented in this article. Infants learn to discriminate faces in their own race from other races by 9 months of age, a form of "perceptual narrowing," which may facilitate the development of the other-race effect seen in adults. 5. New Advances in Understanding Sensitive Periods in Brain Development, Michael S. C. Thomas and Mark H. Johnson, Current Directions in Psychological Science, January 2008 The human brain is marked by plasticity early in life but also is susceptible to the power of experiences at different ages. Sensitive periods occur when the brain seems optimally prepared to learn certain skills and knowledge, such as imprinting and attachment and even second languages. 6. Contributions of Neuroscience to Our Understanding of Cognitive Development, Adele Diamond and Dima Amso, Current Directions in Psychological Science, February 2008 Neuroscience has shown that biology is not destiny-that experience affects the growing brain. Authors Diamond and Amso describe recent neuroscience research in several areas, including infant imitation and mirror neurons, neurotransmitters, maternal touch and infant stress, and the intergenerational transmission of biological and behavioral characteristics. 7. It's Fun, but Does It Make You Smarter?, Erika Packard, APA Monitor on Psychology, November 2007 Children's Internet usage has increased greatly in recent years, but how does it affect their learning? Research suggests that because of the heavy text-based material online, Internet usage may improve children's reading performance. Children need to learn skills that are necessary for self-directed online learning for it to be productive. 8. Language and Children's Understanding of Mental States, Paul L. Harris, Marc de Rosnay, and Francisco Pons, Current Directions in Psychological Science, February 2005 Normal children develop a theory of mind-they learn to understand other people's feelings and points of view. The scientists discuss research on the crucial role of maternal conversation and language interventions to promote children's understanding of mental states. 9. Children's Biased Evaluations of Lucky versus Unlucky People and Their Social Groups, Kristina R. Olson et al., Psychological Science, October 2006 Society tells us to take care of the disadvantaged or unlucky yet we often prefer people of privilege. To understand the origin of biases, the authors designed an experiment to test children's feelings toward lucky or unlucky peers. Young children like people with good luck rather than those with bad luck and generalize this liking to the group to which the lucky person belongs. 10. Future Thinking in Young Children, Cristina M. Atance, Current Directions in Psychological Science, April 2008 The ability to "mentally time travel" may be uniquely human, but when can children mentally project themselves into the future? Using experimental evidence, Atance shows that this skill emerges during the preschool years and may be involved in planning future behaviors and delaying gratification. Part B. Learning in School 11. When Should a Kid Start Kindergarten?, Elizabeth Weil, The New York Times Magazine, June 3, 2007 This article presents multiple perspectives on when a child should begin school. The phenomenon of "redshirting," or opting to hold a child back, is explored, especially in terms of academic achievement. School readiness and family dynamics are also discussed. UNIT 3: Social and Emotional Development Unit Overview Part A. The Child's Feelings: Emotional Development 12. A Neurobiological Perspective on Early Human Deprivation, Charles A. Nelson, Child Development Perspectives, January 2007 Many children worldwide are raised in institutional settings, which have been shown to have deleterious effects on development. Early institutionalization causes reduced cortical activity in the brain and a disturbed neuroendocrine system that regulates social behavior. These findings help explain how institutional care leads to developmental problems. 13. Children's Capacity to Develop Resiliency, Deirdre Breslin, Young Children, January 2005 Some children show resiliency, the ability to develop normally and thrive despite the presence of risk factors in their lives. This article describes factors that are common in resilient children, including heightened sensory awareness and high expectations from others. 14. Emotions and the Development of Childhood Depression: Bridging the Gap, Pamela M. Cole, Joan Luby, and Margaret W. Sullivan, Child Development Perspectives, December 2008 Our understanding of typical or normal emotional development can help us understand children who have emotional problems, and vice versa. The authors describe emotional development and childhood depression, identifying risk factors for the disorder and the roles of negative emotions and positive emotions in early development. Part B. Entry into the Social World: Peers, Play, and Popularity 15. Children's Social and Moral Reasoning about Exclusion, Melanie Killen, Current Directions in Psychological Science, February 2007 How do children develop morality? Today researchers are looking at different forms of social and moral reasoning present in children. Using social domain theory, the article frames how prejudice and stereotypes form and how children reason about exclusion. 16. A Profile of Bullying at School, Dan Olweus, Educational Leadership, March 2003 Bullying involves the repeated exposure of negative actions by one or more peers toward an individual. In the past two decades, a 50 percent increase in the occurrence of bullying has been documented. Leading expert Dan Olweus outlines the typical process involved with bullying and gives supporting data for a prevention program that he has developed over the past 20 years. 17. When Girls and Boys Play: What Research Tells Us, Jeanetta G. Riley and Rose B. Jones, Childhood Education, Fall 2007 Play has many benefits for all c hildren, but research shows that girls and boys often play in different ways. The authors review research on gender patterns in social interactions, physical play, and language usage. Implications for educators and parents are also discussed. 18. Girls Just Want to Be Mean, Margaret Talbot, The New York Times Magazine, February 24, 2002 This article describes girls' cliques: Queen Bees, Alpha Girls, and the Really Mean Girls. Although boys are often viewed as the more aggressive sex because of their overt physical aggression, this article discusses verbal and interpersonal aggression that is more common in girls. 19. The Role of Neurobiological Deficits in Childhood Antisocial Behavior, Stephanie H. M. van Goozen, Graeme Fairchild, and Gordon T. Harold, Current Directions in Psychological Science, March 2008 Some children early in childhood engage in antisocial behavior. There are biological and social influences on these problem behaviors. This article describes the interplay between children's adverse early environments and certain neurobiological deficits that lead to antisocial behavior later in childhood. UNIT 4: Parenting and Family Issues Unit Overview 20. Children of Lesbian and Gay Parents, Charlotte J. Patterson, Current Directions in Psychological Science, October 2006 Does parental sexual orientation affect child development? After years of research, there is little difference between the children of heterosexual and homosexual parents. In fact, the quality of relationships in the family seems to matter more than parents' sexual orientation. 21. Evidence of Infants' Internal Working Models of Attachment, Susan C. Johnson, Carol S. Dweck, and Frances S. Chen, Psychological Science, June 2007 Internal working models of attachment underlie the instinctual behaviors children display in their attachment relationships. The authors use an ingenious visual habituation technique to measure infants' internal working models of attachment, showing that infants' personal attachment experiences are reflected in their abstract mental representations of social interactions. 22. Children of Alcoholics, Cara E. Rice et al., The Prevention Researcher, November 2006 This article addresses the 25 percent of children in the United States who have been exposed to alcohol abuse or dependence in the family. These children of alcoholics, or COAs, show increased risk for problems. The article examines prenatal risk factors and the role of resilience/protective factors in preventive intervention possibilities. 23. Within-Family Differences in Parent-Child Relations across the Life Course, J. Jill Suitor et al., Current Directions in Psychological Science, May 2008 In the same family, parents often treat their children very differently. Such differential treatment and sometimes favoritism are expressed in different levels of closeness, support, and control of siblings. 24. Adoption Is a Successful Natural Intervention Enhancing Adopted Children's IQ and School Performance, Marinus H. van IJzendoorn and Femmie Juffer, Current Directions in Psychological Science, December 2005 This article includes a meta-analysis of research on adopted children's cognitive development. Findings show improved IQ and school performance in adopted children relative to children who stayed institutionalized or returned to birth families, if of higher class. 25. The Case against Breast-Feeding, Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, April 2009 Cultural influences from parenting experts to mothers' magazines presume that mothers who don't breast-feed their babies are impairing their optimal physical and intellectual health. In this essay, Rosin combines research evidence from medicine and psychology with her personal experiences as a new mother to call into question the presumed superiority of breast-feeding. UNIT 5: Cultural and Societal Influences Unit Overview Part A. Social and Cultural Issues 26. Goodbye to Girlhood, Stacy Weiner, The Washington Post, February 20, 2007 This article describes the troubling trend in the way women and girls are depicted by the media. Pop culture images are targeting younger girls, and the psychological damage as a result may include eating disorders, lower self-esteem, and depression. 27. Trials for Parents Who Chose Faith Over Medicine, Dirk Johnson, The New York Times, January 21, 2009 A child is seriously ill, but the parents' religious beliefs forbid any standard medical treatment. What are the child's and parents' rights here, and whose should be legally protected? Johnson describes some recent real-life American families that are struggling with these challenges. 28. How Many Fathers Are Best for a Child, Meredith F. Small, Discover, April 2003 Through an anthropological study of the Bar' tribe of Venezuela, the American concept of a normal family unit is challenged. Questions of culture and evolution are raised and lead to an intriguing question: Is one father enough? 29. Childhood for Sale, Michele Stockwell, Blueprint, 2005 Children are part of the American consumer culture. The author describes some steps to protect children, including age-appropriate advertising, restricted marketing in schools, and protection of children's privacy. Part B. Special Challenges 30. Childhood's End, Christopher Hitchens, Vanity Fair, January 2006 In an ongoing tragedy, children in Uganda have been victimized in many ways, from being murdered to raped; many children are enslaved as soldiers who kill and maim other children. Terrible political and economic conditions contribute to this nightmare. 31. How to Win the Weight Battle, Deborah Kotz, U.S. News & World Report, September 10, 2007 Many experts now believe that the emphasis on dropping weight rather than adding healthy nutrients and exercise is doing more harm than good. This article discusses various approaches that schools are adopting to address child obesity in America, such as Planet Health and CATCH. 32. The Epidemic That Wasn't, Susan Okie, The New York Times, January 27, 2009 In the 1980s, increased use of crack cocaine was seized by the media to fan the flames of fears of a generation of "crack babies." However, the data show that while cocaine exposure is certainly dangerous for the fetus, the developments of former crack babies are often more positive than originally predicted on outcomes such as IQ, attention, and executive function. 33. Three Reasons Not to Believe in an Autism Epidemic, Morton Ann Gernsbacher, Michelle Dawson, and H. Hill Goldsmith, Current Directions in Psychological Science, February 2005 According to conventional wisdom, there is a surge in the number of children with autism. These scientists challenge such claims, arguing that these public perceptions are actually due to changes in diagnostic criteria for autism as well as sloppy analysis of the data. 34. Getting Back to the Great Outdoors, Amy Novotney, APA Monitor on Psychology, March 2008 This article examines children's physical well-being and also includes concepts such as increased cognitive ability and increased resilience against stress and adversity. Psychologists are helping children reconnect with nature through varied efforts, such as conducting research, incorporating the outdoors in clinical interventions, and educating parents on the benefits associated with outdoor experiences. 35. What Causes Specific Language Impairment in Children?, Dorothy V. M. Bishop, Current Directions in Psychological Science, October 2006 Children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) have problems acquiring language, which normally comes naturally to children. Bishop's research of 20 years suggests the need to look at discrete subtypes of the syndrome and genetic factors to better understand this disorder. 36. Treatment and Prevention of Posttraumatic Stress Reactions in Children and Adolescents Exposed to Disasters and Terrorism: What Is the Evidence?, Annette La Greca and Wendy K. Silverman, Child Development Perspectives, April 2009 Many children are exposed to traumatic experiences, from terrorism to natural disasters. La Greca and Silverman review various treatment methods for helping children and youth with posttraumatic stress. Some treatments have no data to confirm their efficacy but others do. Test-Your-Knowledge Article Rating Form
