Children's emergent relations of equivalence using stimuli with opposite verbal labels: Exclusion and minimal training conditions

The present study examined different conditions under which exclusion responding in conditional discrimination tasks would generate emergent equivalence relations in young children based on shared relationships with verbal labels. Both visual stimuli (Sets A, B, C, and D) and auditory stimuli (spoken words, Set N: N1 "correct"; N2: "incorrect") were used. Following a pilot study, three experiments were conducted, each involving eight preschool children. These experiments systematically investigated under which conditions responding by exclusion (i.e., responding away from a designated S - comparison in a matching to sample context) would generate sufficiently stable sample-S + relations for arbitrary stimulus classes to establish. The results showed that young children's exclusion responding under test conditions will only contribute to arbitrary stimulus class formation and expansion when training has already established two arbitrary stimulus classes involving at least two stimuli each. For young children to demonstrate emergent conditional discrimination performances that are indicative of the formation of equivalence relations, it is necessary to have training and/or reinforced exposure to both S + and S - control elements required for deriving the appropriate emergent relations with at least two conditional relations involving different samples. These findings not only contribute to existing research and theory on the conditions under which exclusion responding may contribute to fundamental language and learning processes, they also contribute to the experimental predictability of emergent conditional matching behaviours in preschool children by further unravelling the conditions under which emergent matching based on exclusion generates arbitrary conditional relations of equivalence. </p

Influence of identity versus oddity pretraining on symmetric matching to sample

Identity and oddity matching tasks were designed for different groups of 5-yr.-old children. The presentation of tasks continued until all children had shown evidence of appropriate generalization to new stimuli (i.e., generalized identity matching or generalized oddity from sample). All children then received training on an arbitrary matching-to-sample task. Finally, tests of reflexivity and symmetry in responding were carried out in three consecutive sessions. The children in the Identity group showed reflexivity and symmetry in responses on all three tests; the children in the Oddity group showed oddity in responses on all tests, and a gradual increase in symmetry of responses across tests. These results provide evidence against special versions of multiple-exemplar and reinforcement contingency accounts of stimulus equivalence. Versions of the accounts to explain the findings are discussed

Effectiveness of the Promising Neighbourhoods community program in 0-to 12-year-olds: A difference-in-difference analysis

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a collaborative community-based program that aims to a) increase the health, safety and talent development of youth, and b) contribute to the reduction of socioeconomic inequalities. Methods: A difference-in difference design with two separate cross-sectional samples in 2018 (n = 984) and 2021 (n = 413) among 0- to 12-year-olds with an intervention and comparator condition was used. The program, called Promising Neighbourhoods, consists of collaboration with community stakeholders, data-based priority setting, knowledge-and theory-based policies, and evidence-based interventions. The program was implemented in three neighbourhoods which were compared with three similar comparator neighbourhoods in which the program was not implemented. Logistic difference-in-difference regression was used to test effectiveness of the intervention on informal parenting support, outdoor-play, sport club membership, general health and risk of emotional and behavioural difficulties and to examine differences in intervention effects between children with a lower or higher socioeconomic status. Results: A significant intervention effect of the Promising Neighbourhoods program after two-years was found for outdoor-play (OR 0.61; 95%CI 0.37, 0.99). No other significant intervention effects were found for other outcomes. No different interventions effects were found for children with a lower or higher socioeconomic status on outcomes. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate a positive intervention effect for one of the outcomes in 0- to 12-year-olds. Further mixed-methods evaluation research and using longer follow-up periods are needed to examine the value of these type of programs. Further development of Promising Neighbourhoods seems warranted. Trial registration: This study was prospectively registered in the Netherlands National Trial Register (Number: NL7279) on 26 September 2018

Associations between organised leisure-time activities and mental health problems in children

Previous studies conducted mainly among adolescents have found associations between participation in sport organised leisure-time activities (OLTAs) and mental health problems (MHP). Fewer research studies have been performed to primary school-aged children and to organised non-sport OLTAs. Therefore, the objective is to examine whether there is an association between participation in sport and non-sport OLTAs and a high risk of MHP in 4- to 12-year-olds. Data were used on 5010 children from a cross-sectional population-based survey conducted between May and July 2018 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Associations between sport OLTAs, non-sport OLTAs and breadth of OLTAs and a high risk of MHP were explored using logistic regression models adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, stressful life events and physical activity. Of all children, 58% participated in sport OLTAs and 22% in non-sport OLTAs. The proportion of children with high risk of MHP among participants in sport OLTAs is smaller than among non-participants (OR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.81). The proportion of children with high risk of MHP among participants in non-sport OLTAs is smaller than among non-participants (OR 0.69, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.91). The proportion of children with a high risk of MHP among participants in 1 category of OLTAs (OR 0.61, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.76) and in 2-5 categories of OLTAs (OR 0.48, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.71) is smaller than among non-participants. Conclusion: The proportion of children with high risk of MHP among participants in OLTAs is smaller than among non-participants

Concurrent schedules: Spatial separation of response alternatives

Four pigeons were exposed to independent concurrent variable-interval 20-second variable-interval 60-second schedules of reinforcement. A transparent partition was inserted midway between the two response keys. The length of the partition was systematically manipulated. Increasing partition length produced a decrease in changeover rate in Experiment 1. Over-matching was observed with a partition length of 20 centimeters. In Experiment 2 a four-second limited hold was added to the schedules. Increasing partition length produced a decrease in changeover rate that exceeded the decrease observed in Experiment 1. This manipulation produced nearly exclusive choice of the variable-interval 20-second component. The present results, together with results obtained in related research, suggest that deviation from matching is a function of procedural variables that determine the consequences of a changeover response