Unresponsive Children Research Articles

Experimentally Produced Child Uncontrollability: Effects on the Potency of Adult Communication Patterns

This study was concerned with the effects of child controllability on adult assertiveness, as moderated by adult control perceptions. 4 boys (aged 7--9), trained to be responsive or unresponsive, interacted in adult-child dyads on a toy construction task with 32 women. As predicted, adult locus of control moderated the effects of child behavior. Child unresponsiveness produced an effect on adult behavior only among adults with low control perceptions ("externals"). With unresponsive children, external adults had relatively less assertive voice intonation during their statements of verbal approval and disapproval than during neutral statements (typically consisting of task directions). This pattern replicated previous observation of the communication of mothers with their own unresponsive children. For all other adult-child groupings, voice assertion was higher during affective messages than during neutral messages.

Experimentally Produced Child Uncontrollability: Effects on the Potency of Adult Communication Patterns

This study was concerned with the effects of child controllability on adult assertiveness, as moderated by adult control perceptions. 4 boys (aged 7--9), trained to be responsive or unresponsive, interacted in adult-child dyads on a toy construction task with 32 women. As predicted, adult locus of control moderated the effects of child behavior. Child unresponsiveness produced an effect on adult behavior only among adults with low control perceptions ("externals"). With unresponsive children, external adults had relatively less assertive voice intonation during their statements of verbal approval and disapproval than during neutral statements (typically consisting of task directions). This pattern replicated previous observation of the communication of mothers with their own unresponsive children. For all other adult-child groupings, voice assertion was higher during affective messages than during neutral messages.

Effects of Responsiveness and Sex of Children on Adult Males' Behavior

CANTOR, NANCY L.; WOOD, DAVID D.; and CELFAND, DONNA M. Effects of Responsiveness and Sex of Children on Adult Males' Behavior. CmLD DEVELOPMENT, 1977, 48, 1426-1430. Child confederates were trained to enact responsive and unresponsive roles in interaction with adult males. In the responsive condition, the child confederates initiated conversation, asked for evaluations of their performance, and smiled when praised. In the unresponsive condition, the same children avoided looking at, smiling at, or talking to the men subjects. Responsive children received more praise, verbal help, and other forms of positive attention than unresponsive children. The adult males also rated responsive children as more likable. The results are contrasted with those obtained in a previous study of the reactions of women subjects.

Acoustic reflex relaxation to identify sensorineural hearing impairment.

Acoustic reflex patterns elicited by pulsed auditory signals were investigated in 27 normal-hearing and 27 sensorineural hearing-impaired children. An electroacoustic impedance bridge (Madsen ZO-70) was used in the measurement of the reflex. The reflex was recorded and a comparative analysis made between the patterns observed for the two groups. A difference in the reflex response between the two groups has been identified and proven to be statistically significant. The results suggest the use of a pulsed stimulus to provide more objectivity in the identification of sensorineural hearing impairment in the unresponsive child.