The Development of the Child\u27s Concept of Ecology

In recent years, the quality of our environment and its ability to continue to provide food and energy for a growing population have become topics of nearly worldwide concern. In the United States, this concern has generated a number of educational efforts in ecology extending even to the elementary school. However, these curricula appear to have been formulated with little knowledge of how the concept of ecology develops in children. This study sought to answer two questions: 1) What are the effects of the following variables on the development of the child\u27s concept of ecology: a) developmental changes across the intuitive, concrete, and formal operations stages of cognitive development as outlined by Piaget; b) sex of the child; c) place of residence (urban vs. rural)? 2) What are the major parameters of the child\u27s concept of ecology? Based on a pilot study, a semi-structured interview was constructed around seven parameters: Ecology, Biosphere, Pollution, Population, Niche, Species Interaction, and Adaption. A :five-point Likert-type rating scale was constructed to measure each of the seven parameters. Two judges each rated tape-recorded interviews of 132 children on each of the seven scales. In order to answer question one, a separate 2 x 2 x 3 analysis of variance was performed on the mean ratings for each subject on each scale. The results showed· cognitive stage as a significant main effect in the development of the concept of ecology. On all seven scales the- subjects\u27 responses became less egocentric and concrete and more general and abstract as they-moved from intuitive to formal stages..

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD\u27S CONCEPT OF ECOLOGY

In recent years, the quality of our environment and its ability to continue to provide food and energy for a growing population have become topics of nearly worldwide concern. In the United States, this concern has generated a number of educational efforts in ecology extending even to the elementary school. However, these curricula appear to have been formulated with little knowledge of how the concept of ecology develops in children. This study sought to answer two questions: 1) What are the effects of the following variables on the development of the child\u27s concept of ecology: a) developmental changes across the intuitive, concrete, and formal operations stages of cognitive development as outlined by Piaget; b) sex of the child; c) place of residence (urban vs. rural)? 2) What are the major parameters of the child\u27s concept of ecology? Based on a pilot study, a semi-structured interview was constructed around seven parameters: Ecology, Biosphere, Pollution, Population, Niche, Species Interaction, and Adaption. A :five-point Likert-type rating scale was constructed to measure each of the seven parameters. Two judges each rated tape-recorded interviews of 132 children on each of the seven scales. In order to answer question one, a separate 2 x 2 x 3 analysis of variance was performed on the mean ratings for each subject on each scale. The results showed· cognitive stage as a significant main effect in the development of the concept of ecology. On all seven scales the- subjects\u27 responses became less egocentric and concrete and more general and abstract as they-moved from intuitive to formal stages..

Translational Mouse Models of Autism: Advancing Toward Pharmacological Therapeutics

Animal models provide preclinical tools to investigate the causal role of genetic mutations and environmental factors in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Knockout and humanized knock-in mice, and more recently knockout rats, have been generated for many of the de novo single gene mutations and copy number variants (CNVs) detected in ASD and comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders. Mouse models incorporating genetic and environmental manipulations have been employed for preclinical testing of hypothesis-driven pharmacological targets, to begin to develop treatments for the diagnostic and associated symptoms of autism. In this review, we summarize rodent behavioral assays relevant to the core features of autism, preclinical and clinical evaluations of pharmacological interventions, and strategies to improve the translational value of rodent models of autism