Developmental Changes in Imitation During Mother-Infant Interactions

We investigated the continuity and stability of imitative episodes (IMEs) to shed light on the nature of early infant imitative ability. We observed and analyzed interactions of 27 mother-infant pairs as they played in their homes at one and 10 months. We coded the initiator, frequency, duration, kind, structure, and affect of IMEs. At 10 months, dyads engaged in more frequent and longer IMEs that tended to be vocal, turn-takings, and positive in affect. Significant stability was observed. Mothers who initiated more IMEs and expressed more positive affect had infants who did the same. Findings suggest that dyads set stable communication patterns early on, even though all of these variables increased significantly over time. These patterns may be driven or be highly influenced by early individual differences in communicative ability. Findings also imply that building a history of positive exchanges may be critical in demonstrating stability in imitative episodes

The Development of Behavioral and Emotional Self-Regulation During the Preschool Period.

The study investigates age-related changes in behavioral and emotional self-regulation during the preschool period and the relationship between them. Behavioral self-regulation was measured by compliance without external monitors. Emotional self-regulation was measured by the expressed control of emotions and coping strategies. Eighty-eight preschoolers (45 5-year-olds; 43 3-year-olds) participated in a compliance-delay task. They were left alone for 10 min (self-regulated compliance) to sort cutlery in the presence of toys. The demand for emotional self-regulation was manipulated by hiding (low demand) or exposing (high demand) the toys. Children experienced both sessions. All procedures were video-taped. The expressed emotional comfort during the task was rated. Further, mothers and teachers completed ratings of children\u27s compliance and coping strategies. The predicted age-related increase in self-regulated compliance was found. The age-related increase in emotional comfort and posttask interviews supported the expected increase in emotional self-regulation. Mothers\u27 and teachers\u27 ratings indicated that preschool children gradually acquire more independent, problem-focused coping strategies. Boys are more likely to cope with frustration in an aggressive manner whereas girls are more likely to ask for emotional support and seek help. This study is the first to provide evidence for the relationship between behavioral and emotional self-regulation during the preschool period. Self-regulated compliance is associated with independent, problem-focused coping strategies. Emotion-focused strategies, such as aggression and venting, are negatively correlated with self-regulated compliance. Emotional self-regulation contributes to the internalization of standards of behavior and the contribution increases with age. Behavioral self-regulation shows greater consistency across contexts than emotional self-regulation, perhaps because behavioral self-regulation develops faster. The finding that 5-year-olds worked less in the high demand condition than the low, whereas 3-year-olds did not, was interpreted as a reflection of differential ratio of child resources to task demands. The findings support the important contributions of emotional self-regulation to behavioral self-regulation. A new integrative model is proposed to explain the dynamics of the relationship between behavioral and emotional self-regulation. Specifically, the point is made that behavioral outcome depends on the resources available to the child and the demands for behavioral and emotional self-regulation of a particular situation

Imaginary Companions and Young Children\u27s Coping and Competence

Imaginary companions (ICs) are purported to bolster children’s coping and self-competence, but few studies address this claim. We expected having/not having ICs would distinguish children’s coping strategies and competence less than type of companion (i.e., personified object or invisible friend) or quality of child-IC relationship (i.e., egalitarian or hierarchical). We interviewed 72 3- to 6-year-olds and their mothers about children’s coping strategies and competence; teachers rated competence. Mothers reported ICs. IC presence and type did not differentiate coping strategies, but children with egalitarian relationships chose more constructive/prosocial coping strategies, and teachers rated them more socially competent than children with hierarchical child-IC relationships. Mothers related ICs to cognitive competence. Findings highlight (a) modest relations between imaginary relationships and coping/competence, (b) distinctions between mothers’ perceptions and IC functions, and (c) that ICs parallel real relationships in that different dimensions (presence, type/identity, and relationship quality) might be unique contributors to children’s socioemotional development

Mediators Between Adversity and Well-Being of College Students

Although the concurrent link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and both physical and mental health is established, little is known about the mechanisms that explain it. We investigated the relationship between ACEs and well-being and the mediating roles of coping, executive function (EF), and cognitive failure in a non-clinical sample of college students. Participants (N = 194) completed behavioral measures and self-reports. More than half of the sample had at least one ACE. Correlational and mediational analyses examined the relationships between ACEs, college adaptation, psychopathology, substance use, coping, and cognitive failure. ACEs did not correlate with indices of EF or cognitive failure, but there was a positive relationship between cognitive failure and negative coping. ACEs positively correlated with college adaptation, psychopathology, and substance abuse. There was a full mediation from ACE via negative coping and cognitive failure for college adaptation and psychopathology and via negative coping for alcohol and drug use. ACEs relate with reliance on negative coping which in turn predicts directly and indirectly, through cognitive failure, poor adaptation and heightened symptomatology for psychopathology

Smartphone Addiction and Its Relationship with Indices of Social-Emotional Distress and Personality

We examined the relationships among smartphone addiction, social-emotional distress (e.g., anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and loneliness), and personality traits among 150 undergraduate college students. Participants completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale, the Outcome Questionnaire-45.2, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the UCLA Loneliness Scale-3, and the Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Five-Factor Inventory-3. Results showed that the more students were addicted to their smartphone, the higher their reported social-emotional distress was. Additionally, logistic analyses supported the predictive nature of smartphone addiction on specific domains of social-emotional distress. Personality did not moderate the relationship between smartphone addiction and social-emotional distress. However, neuroticism had a positive relationship with smartphone addiction, while extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientious all had a negative relationship with smartphone addiction. Overall, these findings can inform assessment and interventions targeted at reducing smartphone use and improving mental health of college students. Research implications are also provided considering the infancy of studying the effects of smartphone use on psychological well-being

Regulation of emotion and behavior among 3- and 5-year-olds

In this cross-sectional study, the authors examined the relationship between emotion and behavior regulation in 3- and 5-year olds. Eighty-seven children performed a compliance sorting task. The authors manipulated the demand for emotion regulation by presenting and then hiding toys (low) or making toys visible (high). Mothers and teachers rated children\u27s coping responses. Five-year-olds sorted less in the high condition than in the low condition, and 3-year-olds spent equal time sorting in both conditions. Compliance was positively correlated with problem-focused coping and negatively correlated with emotion-focused coping. Correlations between emotion and behavior regulation were stronger for the 5-year-olds. Age groups were differently affected by the higher demands of emotion regulation, indicating that the child\u27s resources for regulation interact with the task demands to determine behavioral outcome