Young Children's Perceptions Research Articles

Translation and adaptation of functional auditory performance indicators (FAPI)

Work with deaf children has gained new attention since the expectation and goal of therapy has expanded to language development and subsequent language learning. Many clinical tests were developed for evaluation of speech sound perception in young children in response to the need for accurate assessment of hearing skills that developed from the use of individual hearing aids or cochlear implants. These tests also allow the evaluation of the rehabilitation program. However, few of these tests are available in Portuguese. Evaluation with the Functional Auditory Performance Indicators (FAPI) generates a child's functional auditory skills profile, which lists auditory skills in an integrated and hierarchical order. It has seven hierarchical categories, including sound awareness, meaningful sound, auditory feedback, sound source localizing, auditory discrimination, short-term auditory memory, and linguistic auditory processing. FAPI evaluation allows the therapist to map the child's hearing profile performance, determine the target for increasing the hearing abilities, and develop an effective therapeutic plan.ObjectiveSince the FAPI is an American test, the inventory was adapted for application in the Brazilian population. Material and MethodsThe translation was done following the steps of translation and back translation, and reproducibility was evaluated. Four translated versions (two originals and two back-translated) were compared, and revisions were done to ensure language adaptation and grammatical and idiomatic equivalence. ResultsThe inventory was duly translated and adapted. ConclusionFurther studies about the application of the translated FAPI are necessary to make the test practicable in Brazilian clinical use.

Mothers’ Perceptions of Young Children, Parenting, and Young Children's Behavior Problems

Historically, research demonstrates that mothers’ attitudes and characteristics of their parenting are intertwined. More recently, mothers’ perceptions of their children are becoming a new focus of interest. To further understand the relationships among mothers’ perceptions of their young children, their parenting behaviors, and their ratings of their young children's behavior problems, this study examines the ratings of a diverse group of mothers who have young children. Correlational results of this study demonstrate that these variables are related in the anticipated directions. Further, results of regression analyses suggest that mothers’ positive and negative perceptions of their young children and their use of limit setting are important in predicting children's behavior problems. These findings suggest that interventions focusing on changing mothers’ perceptions of their young children as well as their parenting behaviors may be related to decreases in young children's behavior problems.

Accuracy and Inaccuracy in Teachers’ Perceptions of Young Children’s Cognitive Abilities

Teachers’ subjective understandings of their students’ cognitive abilities have important implications for classroom interactions, children’s access to resources and opportunities, and educational equity more broadly. Using nationally representative data and three-level hierarchical linear models, this study explored the links between teacher perceptions and children’s sociodemographic backgrounds. The authors find that teachers perceive substantial racial-ethnic, socioeconomic, and gender differences in children’s literacy skills. Roughly half of these disparities are explained by actual between-group differences. The remaining perceptual inaccuracies flow more from classroom characteristics than from teachers’ professional or personal backgrounds (e.g., their own race or ethnicity). Specifically, holding students’ social and academic backgrounds constant, the authors find that teachers in lower-socioeconomic-status and lower-achieving contexts more often underestimate their students’ abilities. These results highlight the importance of recent policy efforts to avoid isolating traditionally disadvantaged children.

Asthma severity, child security, and child internalizing: Using story stem techniques to assess the meaning children give to family and disease-specific events.

Children with persistent asthma are at increased risk for mental health problems. Although mechanisms of effect are not yet known, it may be that children are less trusting of the family as a source of support and security when they have more severe asthma. This study tested whether asthma severity is related to children's perceptions of insecurity in the family, and whether insecurity is in turn associated with child adjustment. Children (N = 168; mean age = 8 years) completed story stems pertaining to routine family events (e.g., mealtimes) and ambiguous but potentially threatening asthma events such as tightness in the chest. Responses were evaluated for the extent to which appraisals portrayed the family as responding in cohesive, security-provoking ways. Asthma severity was assessed by both objective lung function testing and primary caregiver report. Caregivers reported child symptomatology. Beyond medication adherence, caregiver education, and child age and gender, greater asthma severity predicted more internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Greater asthma severity, assessed using spirometry (but not parent report), was related to less secure child narratives of the family, which in turn related to more child internalizing symptoms. Results suggest that asthma can take a considerable toll on children's feelings of security and mental health. Furthermore, given the difficulty in assessing young children's perceptions, this study helps demonstrate the potential of story stem techniques in assessing children's appraisals of illness threat and management in the family.

Young children's perceptions of teacher–child relationships: An evaluation of two instruments and the role of child gender in kindergarten

The psychometric qualities of two instruments that measure children's perceptions of teacher–child relationships were evaluated in a sample of kindergartners ( N = 150): The Young Children's Appraisals of Teacher Support (Y-CATS) and the Kindergartner–Teacher Interaction Computer (KLIC) test. On the Y-CATS, children judged propositions on a dichotomous response format. On the KLIC, children evaluated pictures according to a two-step response procedure to obtain a 4-point scale. Furthermore, these instruments were employed to explore gender differences in the associations between the teacher–child relationship and indices of maladaptive behavior. Teachers completed measures of relationship quality and children's behavior problems. A three-dimensional structure of the Y-CATS (Warmth, Conflict, and Autonomy Support) was found, whereas the KLIC's structure was unidimensional. The KLIC showed high reliability but stronger evidence was obtained for the validity of the Y-CATS. Consistent with attachment-based research, the results indicated that children display gender-typical problem behavior when having non-close teacher–child relationships.

Parent perceptions of the impact of stuttering on their preschoolers and themselves

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are advised to consider the distress of preschoolers and parents along with the social consequences of the child's stuttering when deciding whether to begin or delay treatment. Seventy-seven parents completed a survey that yielded quantitative and qualitative data that reflected their perceptions of the impact of stuttering on their children and themselves. Sixty-nine (89.6%) parents reported between 1 and 13 types of negative impact (modal = 2). The most frequently reported reactions of children were frustration associated with their stuttering, withdrawal, reduced or changed verbal output, making comments about their inability to talk, and avoidances. The most frequently reported peer reaction was teasing (27.3%). Seventy parents (90.9%) reported that they were affected by their child's stuttering. Their most frequently reported reactions were worry/anxiety/concern, uncertainty about what to do, frustration, upset (parent term), self-blame (fear that they had caused the stuttering), taking time to listen, waiting for the child to finish talking, modifying their own speech, and asking the child to modify speech. Findings support calls for SLPs to consider the distress of preschool children and their parents and the social consequences of the children's stuttering when making the decision to begin or delay treatment. Learning outcomes: Readers will be able to describe parents’ perceptions of the impact of stuttering on their children and themselves. In particular, readers will learn about (1) parents’ perceptions of young children's awareness and reactions to their stuttering, (2) parents’ perceptions of the social consequences of stuttering for young children; and (2) the emotional effect of stuttering on parents.

Strabismus-related prejudice in 5–6-year-old children

AimsThere is a general consensus that individuals with conspicuous strabismus are perceived more negatively with respect to physical appearance, personality and capability. Such social biases can potentially lead to social...

Young children's perceptions of college and saving: Potential role of Child Development Accounts

This paper explores young children's perceptions and expectations about attending college, and the potential influence of a savings program on shaping children's perceptions about paying for college. As part of a four-year study of a school-based college savings program called “I Can Save”, this paper uses qualitative evidence from interviews conducted in second and fourth grades with a diverse group of 51 children. Findings suggest that most of the children in the study have a general understanding of college and have begun a process of considering higher education. Further, children in “I Can Save” are more likely than a comparison group of children to perceive that savings is a way to help pay for college.

Young children's perception of peers with disabilities

Young children's perception of peers with disabilities

Young children's perceptions of their school experience: a comparative study between England and India

The research aimed at exploring young children's perceptions of their school experience using three different (but interrelated) theoretical perspectives: the interactionist, systemic and socio-cultural perspectives. Twelve five-six year old children from a state funded primary school in south-east England and fifteen five-six year old children from a university campus school in north India formed the sample for the study. Three different methods for collecting qualitative data were used: (a) children's drawings (b) children's paired interviews and (c) photographic/video evidence of different areas of the class/setting, taken/videoed by children themselves. Findings from England and India, both, revealed similar results that children liked coming to school and enjoyed doing a range of activities with their teacher(s) and friends. They however, wanted to spend more time outside. Their perceptions of why they attend school ranged from adult-imposed reasons to those which might be of benefit to themselves. The main difference between the two groups was in their perceptions of the outside space and the use of school facilities. These differences could be attributed to the different socio-cultural and economic state of the settings in respective countries. These differences are understood and discussed in relation to different theoretical perspectives, as mentioned earlier.

Development of the Mandarin Early Speech Perception Test: Children with Normal Hearing and the Effects of Dialect Exposure

The first objective of this study was to create a recorded Mandarin Early Speech Perception (MESP) test based on the English Early Speech Perception test (), a closed-set assessment tool for evaluation of early speech perception abilities in children. The second objective was to determine whether each of the MESP subtests is appropriate for children with these abilities. The third objective was to examine the effects of early exposure to and use of Putonghua (Standard Mandarin), as used for the recordings, on performance for each subtest. MESP test items were developed by sampling approximately 200 picturable words, twice the number required for the test, from Chinese children's books. A sample (N = 17) of 2.0- to 5.0-yr-old developmentally normal children identified the words from pictures and then recognized the words when tested with live voice by pointing to the pictures. Only words that were accurately identified and recognized by children of all ages were selected. An additional sample (N = 92) of 2.0- to 5.0-yr-old developmentally normal children was tested with the subtests of the MESP. Information about each child's daily Putonghua exposure and use was used to separate the sample into two groups. Subtest scores for the two groups were compared to examine the effects of early dialect exposure on performance. Fewer than 2% of the words used in the six subtests of the MESP were incorrectly named and recognized. Each subtest measures a different category of early speech perception. The categories are hierarchically structured. Categories 1, 2, and 3, Speech Sound Detection, Speech Pattern Perception, and Spondee Recognition, parallel the ESP. Categories 4, 5, and 6 of the MESP, Vowel Perception, Consonant Perception, and Tone Perception, are more difficult tests that provide information about segmental and tonal cues for Mandarin speech perception. All children in all age groups reached all MESP categories successfully, with the exception of three children in the youngest age group for the Tone Perception test. The two oldest groups of children who were not exposed primarily to Putonghua had slightly lower scores on both the Consonant and Tone Perception tests than children who were primarily exposed to Putonghua. These results suggest that development of tone perception continues beyond the MESP age range. Nonetheless, children as young as 2 yr of age could be tested on all of the MESP subtests. The development of the MESP has produced a recorded objective test for the evaluation of early speech perception in Mandarin-speaking children using a standardized protocol. The hierarchical structure of the first three MESP categories parallels that of the ESP, while restricting the occurrence of some tones. Additional MESP categories allow control and variation of Mandarin segmental and tonal contrasts. The MESP is part of a Mandarin hierarchical test battery for assessment of speech perception in young children.

Linking marital conflict and children’s adjustment: The role of young children’s perceptions.

Young children's (n = 96) perceptions and appraisals of their parents' marital conflict were evaluated at age 5 and again at age 6. Concurrent reports of marital conflict by each parent and teachers' reports of children's classroom adjustment served as criteria against which to evaluate the validity of young children's perceptions. Children's perceptions of their parents' marital relationship were significantly correlated with spouses' reports at ages 5 and 6, as well as correlated with teacher reports of internalizing and externalizing problems. Consistent with the cognitive-contextual theory, children's tendency to blame themselves for their parents' conflict partially mediated the link between marital conflict and children's internalizing symptoms. In contrast, children's reports that they become involved in their parents' conflict partially mediated the effect of marital conflict on externalizing problems.

Assessing speech perception in young children and relationships with language skills

Few materials are available to assess speech perceptual skills in young children without hearing impairments. However, children with a range of developmental conditions are at risk of speech discrimination deficits. Tasks that reliably assess speech perception skills are thus necessary for research and clinical practice. The development and application of two speech perception tests are described. Data were collected from 105 children, aged 4–5 years, attending mainstream schools, on two tasks, mispronunciation detection and non-word XAB, in quiet and in a background of multi-talker babble. Children's receptive language skills were also measured. Performance on mispronunciation detection was significantly better than on the XAB non-word task, and significantly better in quiet than in babble. Performance significantly improved with age, and speech discrimination was significantly related to receptive language abilities. Scores obtained in quiet and in babble were highly correlated and findings suggest there may be no advantage to testing in noise, except to avoid ceiling effects on performance. These tasks prove useful in the assessment of young children who may have speech discrimination deficits.

Brain mechanisms for social perception: lessons from autism and typical development.

In this review, we summarize our research program, which has as its goal charting the typical and atypical development of the social brain in children, adolescents, and adults with and without autism. We highlight recent work using virtual reality stimuli, eye tracking, and functional magnetic resonance imaging that has implicated the superior temporal sulcus (STS) region as an important component of the network of brain regions that support various aspects of social cognition and social perception. Our work in typically developing adults has led to the conclusion that the STS region is involved in social perception via its role in the visual analysis of others' actions and intentions from biological-motion cues. Our work in high-functioning adolescents and adults with autism has implicated the STS region as a mechanism underlying social perception dysfunction in this neurodevelopmental disorder. We also report novel findings from a study of biological-motion perception in young children with and without autism.

Jordanian children's perception of fathers' communication structures and patterns: scales revision and validation

PurposeBased on father‐child dyadic responses, this paper is aimed at revising and validating the scales of fathers' communication structures, identifying Jordanian fathers' communication structures and patterns.Design/methodology/approachBased on two different studies, group interviews face‐to‐face, self‐administered questionnaires and drop‐off self‐administered questionnaires were respectively employed to solicit young children's and fathers' responses. While the first study (n=100) depended on convenience sampling procedures, proportionate stratified random sampling technique that relied on young children of ages 8‐12 was conducted to select the participants of the second study (n=916). Fathers' consent on the participation of their young children in the group interviews was obtained before collecting data.FindingsChildren of ages 8‐12 can precisely perceive family communication patterns (FCP) as adolescents and mothers. The influence of culture on fathers' communication structures and patterns is not clear. Jordanian fathers are principally classified as pluralistic fathers in their communication related to consumption issues and there is significant association between fathers' consumer socialisation goals and their communication structures and patterns.Research limitations/implicationsThe development of fathers' communication dimensions was based on a single‐country study and the two research samples were restricted to the public schools of Amman metropolitan.Practical implicationsMarketers can directly target Jordanian children in their advertising campaigns since children are more likely to make their own purchasing decisions. The marketers may focus on young children in their promotion campaigns to influence the family decision making related to products and services since their fathers adopt concept‐oriented communication structures.Originality/valueAn important contribution of this study is that neither fathers' communication structures nor young children's perceptions were previously used in revising and validating the scales of family communication structures and patterns at the level of collectivistic or individualistic cultures.

Teachers' perceptions of young children with ADHD in Korea

This study examined Korean early childhood teachers’ understanding of behavioural characteristics of children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), difficulties about and concerns for children with ADHD, the kinds of support for which teachers looked, experiences teachers had with the parents of children with ADHD, and interventions teachers had implemented. The purpose of the study was to provide descriptive information on how teachers perceive ADHD and to facilitate further studies on children with ADHD in Korea.

'Imagine all that smoke in their lungs': parents' perceptions of young children's tolerance of tobacco smoke

Despite knowing the risks to their children's health, parents continue to expose their children to tobacco smoke prior to and after their birth. This study explores the factors influencing parent's behaviour in preventing the exposure of their (unborn) children to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and any changes to their smoking behaviour in the home during the first years of their children's lives. Whether or not they stopped smoking during pregnancy, the women did not protect themselves from breathing in other people's smoke. Yet once the baby was born, parents actively protected the baby from environmental tobacco, believing that the lungs of newborn babies were too immature to tolerate smoke. This protection lasted only for a matter of weeks for some babies, or stopped when they were 6-12 months old, linked to their parent's belief that older babies could tolerate or avoid smoke. These findings suggest that changes made to smoking during the first weeks of a baby's life are unlikely to be sustained, and key messages about the risks if ETS exposure need to be delivered repeatedly over the first 2 years of life and re-enforced as the child gets older.

Effects of Fast Food Branding on Young Children's Taste Preferences

To examine the effects of cumulative, real-world marketing and brand exposures on young children by testing the influence of branding from a heavily marketed source on taste preferences. Experimental study. Children tasted 5 pairs of identical foods and beverages in packaging from McDonald's and matched but unbranded packaging and were asked to indicate if they tasted the same or if one tasted better. Preschools for low-income children. Sixty-three children (mean +/- SD age, 4.6 +/- 0.5 years; range, 3.5-5.4 years). Branding of fast foods. A summary total taste preference score (ranging from -1 for the unbranded samples to 0 for no preference and +1 for McDonald's branded samples) was used to test the null hypothesis that children would express no preference. The mean +/- SD total taste preference score across all food comparisons was 0.37 +/- 0.45 (median, 0.20; interquartile range, 0.00-0.80) and significantly greater than zero (P<.001), indicating that children preferred the tastes of foods and drinks if they thought they were from McDonald's. Moderator analysis found significantly greater effects of branding among children with more television sets in their homes and children who ate food from McDonald's more often. Branding of foods and beverages influences young children's taste perceptions. The findings are consistent with recommendations to regulate marketing to young children and also suggest that branding may be a useful strategy for improving young children's eating behaviors.

Using video‐stimulated recall to understand young children's perceptions of learning in classroom settings

This article arose from a project based on exploring the nature and value of interactive teaching with and without information and communications technology (ICT). It describes one facet of the project which involves developing an understanding of children's perceptions of learning in classroom settings. This was explored through interviews with pupils aged between 3 and 7 years. These interviews utilised video clips, selected by either the class teacher or the pupils, of lessons observed and analysed as part of the project. Data from group pupil interviews using video‐stimulated recall dialogues (VSRD) is an essential component of the project and the pupils who agreed to participate in these interviews are acknowledged as important partners in this research project. This article reports findings from these VSRD in which children discussed their learning in mathematics, science and Welsh (as a second language). Emerging themes from analysis of data from teacher interviews, lesson observations and VSRD wit...

Oral Health Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behavior Among School Children in North Jordan

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of school children towards oral health and dental care as well as to evaluate the factors that determine these variables. School children (n=557) of an average age of 13.5 years attending public schools in North Jordan were recruited into this study. The subjects completed a questionnaire that aimed to evaluate young school children's behavior, knowledge, and perception of their oral health and dental treatment. The participants' oral hygiene habits (such as tooth brushing) were found to be irregular, and parents' role in the oral hygiene habits of their children was limited. The study population showed higher awareness of caries than periodontal conditions. Irregular visits to the dentist were found to be common, and toothache was the major driving factor for dental visits. Children had positive attitudes toward their dentists; nevertheless, they indicated that they feared dental treatment. The children in this study also recognized the importance of oral health to the well-being of the rest of the body. Parents were not proactive in making sure that their children received regular dental care. Parents' knowledge and attitudes about the importance of oral health care and their fears about dental treatment influenced their children's dental care. The results of this study indicate that children's and parents' attitudes toward oral health and dental care need to be improved. Comprehensive oral health educational programs for both children and their parents are required to achieve this goal.