Videotaped Observations Research Articles

Adverse Childhood Experiences in Parental History and how they Relate to Subsequent Observed Parent–Child Interaction: A Systematic Review

Abstract Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in parental history have been associated with higher self-reported rates of negative parenting behaviors and lower self-reported rates of positive parenting behaviors. Further research is needed to explore the association between parental ACEs and the observed parent–child interaction quality. Parent–child interactions are a potential pathway behind the continuity of ACEs across generations. Objective This review aimed to expand on existing literature by synthesizing evidence on the associations between parental ACEs and parent–child interactions, assessed through videotaped observations, the gold standard for interaction assessment. Methods A systematic literature search conducted in October 2022 in Medline, EMBASE, and PsycInfo identified twenty-four articles. The studies assessed parental childhood adversity and the quality of parent–child interaction across high- and low-risk samples. Results In 79% of studies, higher rates of childhood adversity were related to lower quality of observed parent–child interaction. Childhood abuse and neglect were linked to fewer positive and more negative parenting behaviors. Among household challenges, only witnessing family violence negatively impacted interaction quality. In 58% of studies, ACEs directly influenced interaction, while in 21% this effect was mediated by other factors. This pattern held across different sample types. Conclusions The evidence suggesting a relationship between parental ACEs and lower quality of parent–child interaction is robust, given the reliability and validity of observational measures. Considering the influence of the quality of parent–child interaction on a child’s development, interventions and prevention programs focusing on parent–child interaction should consider screening for parental ACEs.

Gender-Typical Appearance in Early Childhood: Role of Parental Gender-Typical Appearance and Children’s Gender Similarity

The emergence of gender-typical appearance in childhood appears to have important implications not only for child and adolescent social-emotional functioning but also for later working life. In the current study, we examined how parents’ gender-typical appearance and children’s gender similarity (to same- and other-gender peers) were related to young children’s gender-typical appearance. We also explored differences in these associations between boys, girls, mothers, and fathers. Home visits were conducted with 74 Dutch two-parent (mother, father) families with both a son and daughter between the ages 3–6 years (96.6% White, 2.0% Asian, 1.4% other ethnicity). The gender-typical appearance of all four family members was assessed by trained and reliable coders in the videotaped observations from the home visits. As a measure of children’s gender similarity, both parents reported on the similarity of their son and daughter to same-gender and other-gender peers. Generalized estimating equations showed that more gender-typical appearance of parents was associated with more gender-typical appearance of girls, but not of boys. No differences were found between mothers and fathers for the association between parent and child appearance. Moreover, children’s gender similarity, evident in parents’ perceived similarity of their child to peers of the same gender and dissimilarity to peers of the other gender, was associated with more gender-typical appearance in children. To conclude, both children’s gender similarity and parents’ gender-typical appearance appear to play a role in the gender-typical appearance of young children.

Assessing Developments in Play of Young Children

This paper follows an earlier report of young children’s object play activities investigated in a cross-sectional sample of 289 typically developing children. Thirty-minute videotaped observations were taken of children at 8, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, and 60 months of age in their homes. Forty-nine percent were boys. Children were identified as White (70%); mixed racial/cultural backgrounds (14%); Asian (7%); Black (6%); and Latinx (3%). This study reports patterns of cognitive development based on mastery scores derived from frequency and variety of activities in the 27 categories identified in the earlier study. Mastery scores afforded evaluation of the robustness of certain play categories, and the retention and reduction of others, yielding a final set of 14 to describe and assess developments in play. Discussion centers on the value of differentiated categories along with scores that yield a standard for an assessment of children’s play.

Weaving the Fabric of Social and Emotional Learning in the Context of Teaching: A Study in Hong Kong Kindergarten Classrooms

Abstract This study investigated how children’s social and emotional learning (SEL) might reflect their teachers’ social and emotional teaching (SET) by means of social learning. To this end, the research team conducted 20 videotaped observation sessions of four teachers’ SET and 71 children’s SEL during whole-group instruction in four kindergarten classrooms in Hong Kong. The research team coded SET and SEL based on teacher and child utterances for evidence of the CASEL’s five key social and emotional competencies (Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making). Additionally, we coded a one-on-one correspondence between each competency and one of the four strategies identified (Telling/Commanding/Directing, Explaining, Asking Questions, and Affirming/Confirming). Both the teachers and children evidenced Responsible Decision-Making the most. Except for Social Awareness, the teachers’ SET and children’s SEL in the other four competencies were correlated significantly and strongly. Furthermore, among the five strategies, teachers primarily utilized the Asking Questions strategy, while children predominantly corresponded with the Telling strategy. Significant correlations were observed among the strategies: between teachers’ Asking Questions and children’s Telling, between teachers’ Asking Questions and children's Explaining, between teachers’ Explaining and children's Explaining, Asking Questions, and Affirming/Confirming, and between teachers’ Affirming/Confirming and children’s Telling. These findings suggest that social learning was at work to guide children’s SEL in the context of their teachers’ SET.

Teaching programming and computational thinking in early childhood education: a case study of content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge.

Programming and computational thinking (CT) have been progressively incorporated into early childhood education to prepare children for the digital age. However, little is known about the content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical knowledge (PK) possessed by early childhood teachers in this domain. To address this gap, we conducted a case study of an early childhood teacher in China who had experience developing and implementing an unplugged programming and CT curriculum. The triangulation of data sources was established to collect evidence from videotaped observations, interviews, and lesson plans. For the CK, analysis of these findings revealed that the teacher had a more robust understanding of CT concepts (e.g., sequences, conditionals, and loops) compared to CT practices (e.g., decomposition, debugging) and CT perspectives (e.g., perseverance, choices of conduct). In terms of PK, the teacher could apply the general pedagogical knowledge but was relatively weak in using content-specific pedagogical knowledge. As the first endeavor to investigate an early childhood teacher's CK and PK in teaching programming and CT, this study provides significant implications for improving teachers' professional knowledge and teaching effectiveness in this burgeoning area.

Coercive Parent-Adolescent Interactions Predict Substance use and Antisocial Behaviors Through Early Adulthood: A Dynamic Systems Perspective.

This study revisits the association between coercive parent-adolescent interactions and adolescent externalizing behaviors. Specifically, we investigate the moment-to-moment coercive exchanges between parents and adolescents and how these dynamic processes map to the long-term development of substance use and antisocial behavior from middle adolescence to early adulthood. We collected videotaped observations with 794 adolescents (ages 16-17 years) and their parents during interactions and coded their real-time behavioral exchanges. State Space Grid analyses were used to measure the proportion of time in which each parent-adolescent dyad engaged in the Dyadic Coercion region as an indicator of rigidity in dyadic coercion. We also measured adolescents' substance use and antisocial behavior at ages 16-17, ages 18-19, and ages 21-22. The enduring impact of parent-adolescent coercive interaction on substance use and antisocial behavior was tested using categorical latent growth curve models and path models. Adolescents with more coercive interactions with parents showed higher rates of increase in alcohol use and higher levels of antisocial behavior through early adulthood. The findings highlight the unique contribution of using intensive data to understand coercive interactions on a micro-timescale and how these dynamics influence long-term development in externalizing behaviors. Implications for intervention studies are discussed.

Prevalence and Co-Occurrence of Developmental and Emotional-Behavioral Problems in Young Children.

A limited number of studies have estimated the prevalence of emotional-behavioral disorders among young children. None have assessed their co-occurrence with developmental delays using standardized assessment tools. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of emotional-behavioral disorders and their co-occurrence with developmental delays among young children (2-5.5 years). Parents of young children (N=987) enrolled from pediatric waiting rooms completed developmental-behavioral screening questionnaires. Based on results, 585 families were invited to and 439 completed evaluations that included structured diagnostic interviews with parents to assess child psychopathology (Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA)), developmental testing with children (including the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third Edition for children ≤ 42 months; Differential Ability Scales, second Edition for older children), and videotaped observation to establish whether autism risk was sufficient to warrant further evaluation. According to PAPA algorithms, 23.0% of children met criteria for a DSM-IV disorder, while 9% qualified for a developmental delay. Presence of delay doubled the odds of having a DSM-IV disorder (OR=2.1; CI: 1.02-4.3), and presence of disorder doubled the odds of having a moderate-to-severe developmental delay (OR=2.0; CI: 1.10-3.50). Prevalence of DSM-IV disorders (48.8% (95% CI: 33.5-64.5%)) and developmental delays (57.5% (95% CI: 41.7-71.9%)) were both higher among children at risk for autism. While developmental delay did not vary by race/ethnicity, prevalence of DSM-IV disorders was lower among African-American/Black (10.6%; CI: 2.9-18.3) and Hispanic/Latino children (11.1%; CI: 4.3-17.9). Developmental delays and emotional-behavioral disorders among young children seen in pediatric settings are characterized by high prevalence and substantial co-occurrence.

The mechanisms of influence in intergenerational trauma transmission from mother to baby after the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina: what have we learned since then?

IntroductionAfter the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina that lasted from 1992 to 1995, the populations gradually rebuilt their lives haunted by the spectrum of personal and collective painful souvenirs. Regarding the children who were born after the war, some mothers would rather not talk about it to protect their children from what they might be feeling while others would definetely share what they have experienced to protect their children. Because the intergenerational transmission of war trauma from mother to baby has been poorly explored among populations who recently lived in a warzone, we seeked to highlight the particularity of the interpersonal relations between the mother and her child in connection with maternal psychotrauma, by searching the factors of influence on the functioning of the dyad.ObjectivesThe main objective of this study is to determine and conceptualize the modes of transmission of trauma from the study of mother-baby interactions in a Bosnian environment, after the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.MethodsIn 2003, 40 mothers and their babies aged 2 to 36 months living in Sarajevo were enrolled in the study. Among these mothers, 31 lived in or near the warzone and 9 were either displaced in other areas of the country or were refugees in foreign countries. We assessed the level of severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (Blake et al, 1998). In order to examine the quality of the mother-child dyads of mothers who lived through the war, we videorecorded a 10-minute free play of 23 dyads in their home environment. Then the interactions were coded using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development observation grid by two independent raters.ResultsThe results showed that all mothers who lived through the war presented post-traumatic symptoms but only half of them showed a PTSD. Videotaped observations of mother-child interactions during playtimes revealed that their interactions are less linked to the mother’s PTSD than to the influence of PTSD on maternal attitudes and thereby extending to those of their infant. They are less sensitive to their children’s signals. They are also more intrusive and detached. Overall, they are more focused on themselves than on their child when they are interacting. As a result, their children are more focused on play and less actively engaged in communicating with their mothers.ConclusionsThe interactions between the mother and her child cover a set of relatively complex processes during which the two partners influence each other. When a mother lives through the war, she will pass on to her child an often painful life story. And thus, it is not only the content but also the way she transmits it that influences how the child receives the objects of the transmission.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Does prior knowledge affect interaction dynamics and learning achievement in digital problem-based learning? A pilot study.

Previous research on problem-based learning (PBL) describes that videotaped observations develop meaningful insights into cognitive processes in tutorial groups. Analysis regarding the amount of prior knowledge on learning achievement has not been investigated in medical education so far, although both are key factors of PBL success. Thus, we intended to analyse videos of digital problem-based learning (dPBL) sessions, focusing on knowledge acquisition and interaction dynamics among groups with different levels of prior knowledge to reveal any distinctions. This study employed a pilot design by dividing 60 dental students into twelve subgroups with less or more prior knowledge, determined by a pre-semester multiple choice test (MCQ). The groups engaged in videotaped dPBL cases, which were examined regarding group interactions and tutor effectiveness. The learning achievement was assessed through a post-semester MCQ, an oral and practical exam. The video analysis showed that dPBL groups with less prior knowledge achieved significantly higher tutor effectiveness and group interaction utterances, but that the percentage of time in which utterances occurred was similar in both groups. Related to the MCQ results, the students with less prior knowledge learned four times more than those with profound previous abilities, but no significant difference was found in the results of the oral exam and practical exam. The interaction dynamics in dPBL depend on the group's amount of prior knowledge. Especially groups including participants with less prior knowledge seemed to benefit from dPBL in comparison to groups with more prior knowledge. The dPBL groups acquired knowledge in different ways during the courses but, finally, all students arrived at a similar level of knowledge.

Translanguaging stance of preschool teachers working with multilingual children in Luxembourg

ABSTRACT In today’s linguistically and culturally diverse schools, it is important that teachers use inclusive pedagogies, such as translanguaging. This pedagogy assumes that teachers have positive attitudes towards children’s home languages and cultures (translanguaging stance), which we explored in our study with 40 preschool teachers in Luxembourg. The teachers participated in the professional development course on translanguaging over six months. To identify teachers’ stance before and after the course, they completed questionnaires and participated in focus groups, and after completing the course, teacher–child interactions in the classroom were videotaped and analysed. Empirical findings of the questionnaires demonstrate that teachers’ attitudes towards children’s multilingualism and home languages increased significantly after participating in the course. In the focus groups, the majority of teachers expressed a mild translanguaging stance, meaning that they were afraid that the inclusion of children’s home languages will hinder children’s development of the school language, Luxembourgish. Finally, in the videotaped observations, the foci teachers demonstrated their positive stance in one activity and a negative stance in another. Following the study's multi-method approach, we conclude that teachers’ attitudes were ambivalent and paradoxical, which depicts a rather realistic picture of preschool teachers’ attitudes in Luxembourg.

Evaluating Modes of Observations Using Hierarchical Signal Detection Rater Models

Scoring of performance can be based on different modes of observation, which can include live and videotaped observations. Although live observations have been the traditional format of measuring examinee performance in education and in healthcare, videotaped observations provide educators and testing agencies the promise of unbiased and standardized evaluations, offering practical solutions to limitations of real-time scoring. This study proposes a measurement model taking into account different modes of observation, using an extension of the hierarchical rater model based on signal detection theory (HRM-SDT). A hierarchical rater model is motivated by the nested structure of scores assigned by raters – scores assigned by raters become indicators of performance quality, which in turn become indicators of examinee ability. This study extends the hierarchical structure of the scoring process to include modes of observation, which serves as an intermediary level between the latent categorical indicator of performance quality and examinee ability, forming a three-level HRM-SDT. Analyses based on real-world data showed differences in the quality of scores from live observations and videotaped recordings. Compared to the traditional HRM-SDT, the overall model fit improved when including modes of observation. Simulations using different sample sizes and conditions provide implications for uses of this model.

Valuing and supporting the complex writing processes of emergent writers

This collective case study sought to investigate the distinctive writing processes and productions of young writers within the space of a writers’ workshop. Based on video-taped observations, fieldnotes, writing samples, and teacher and student interviews, a description of preschool students’ writing processes began to unfold. Some might consider these preschool writing processes to be necessary stepping stones to more conventional writing, but this study makes clear the students already engaged in complex writing processes that may have distinct, valuable qualities to be encouraged and supported. The following research questions guided the data collection and analysis for this study: “How do preschool students create texts within a writers’ workshop?” and “How do these processes differ from past descriptions of the writing process?” These questions are significant, because much of the literature focuses on the writing processes of older students or specific aspects of the emergent writing process (e.g., rehearsal, transcription, dialogue), but this study attempted to describe preschool writing processes as a whole and then identify the dimensions distinctive to these early writers. The data collected in this study highlighted three tightly interconnected themes that reflected aspects of preschool writing processes: the use of illustrations to direct the story, play within writing, and the socialization of emergent authoring. All of these themes underscore how students were writing “in the moment” and creating a multimodal production. By valuing this entire production rather than only the finished written product, young students can view themselves as authors and take on that role.

Towards inclusiveness and sustainability of robot programming in early childhood: Child engagement, learning outcomes and teacher perception

AbstractThe proliferation of screen‐free programmable robotics allows teachers to implement age‐appropriate integrated activities that can promote child learning and development. However, very scarce is known about the challenges of using programmable robots as a tool to empower children in minority communities. This mixed‐methods case study examined a Free Quality Kindergarten situated in a low‐income public housing estate in Hong Kong to explore the affordances and challenges of robot programming (RP) in early childhood education (ECE). Both quantitative and qualitative data were generated through videotaped observations, child assessments and teacher interviews to journey with the teaching team as they managed to implement the newly introduced RP curriculum. Child assessment evidence revealed that there was a statistically significant improvement in CT scores over 6 weeks of RP activities, while the pretest–posttest change of child self‐regulation scores was nonsignificant. Video analysis results further revealed that children's interaction level with the robot kit significantly predicted the change of self‐regulation over time. Qualitative results are presented to explicate the micro, meso and macro conditions that constrain the implementation of RP curriculum, including the following: (a) teachers' limited TPACK in RP education, (b) a disconnect between the RP curriculum and the school‐based curriculum, (c) limited resources and (d) the Confucian tradition and cultural barriers. These illustrate the intricacies involved in the implementation of RP education to empower marginalized children in under‐resourced ECE settings. This study will help bring systemic change to the ECE field by uncovering ecological difficulties in integrating new technologies to promote inclusiveness and sustainability for the future. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Screen‐free robot programming (RP) is beneficial for preschool children in terms of promoting their computational thinking (CT) and executive functioning. RP can be generally engaging for preschool children from a middle‐class background. What this paper adds The study is addressing the inclusiveness and sustainability according to the learning needs of kindergarten students, especially those from less privileged backgrounds. The story‐based approach to RP can cater to the learning needs and interests of children from a lower socio‐economic background, which is likely to enhance their CT skills. Children with a higher level of interaction with the robot kit benefited more from the RP activities in terms of self‐regulation skills. This study used multiple methods (ie, video analysis, teacher interview and child assessment) to reveal the effects of micro, meso and macro contexts on RP education in an under‐resourced Hong Kong kindergarten. Implications for practice and/or policy RP education should be cautiously prompted in diverse early childhood settings, especially the less privileged institutions, to enhance positive effects. Critical constraints on the use of programmable robots to empower marginalized children should be adequately addressed when trying to integrate RP into early childhood education. Teachers should receive training and continual support in RP‐related pedagogical strategies to facilitate and scaffold children's learning.

A secular Advent. waiting for Christmas in Swedish preschools

ABSTRACT Swedish preschool education is, by law, non-confessional. Yet, it is also an educational context within which most children aged 1–5 encounter traditions that carry Christian connotations. This paper explores how two Swedish preschools maintain a balance between keeping education non-confessional and paying attention to the traditions that are associated with the preparation for and celebration of Christmas – Advent. The data consist of ten videotaped observations from two preschools. The data was thematised with the help of Ninian Smart’s dimensions of religious and secular worldviews. This way, we could show that the different traditions the two preschools were engaged in during the four weeks before Christmas contributed to a banal reproduction of a holiday season with roots in Lutheran Christianity. At the same time, the preschools contributed to a (re)production of traditions that evoke a national imaginery. Our results show that Advent in Swedish preschools is characterised as a non-confessional task for the institution. Thus, the principle of non-confessionality lives side by side with a banal national religion. Thereby, the Swedish preschool plays an integral part in the banal reproduction of a Swedishness that includes Lutheran Christianity.

To debate or not to debate? Examining the contribution of debating when studying medical ethics in small groups

BackgroundMedical ethics is a significant learning topic for medical students, and often studied through small group learning (SGL) to encourage critical thinking (CT) and tolerance for ambiguity, both considered particularly important when coping with medical ethics dilemmas. However, a previous study about CT and tolerance for ambiguity in medical ethics SGL produced mixed results. Debating is a pedagogical tool known to enhance CT but never used before in medical ethics learning. This paper examines whether the use of debate may enhance medical ethics SGL by contributing to the CT of students and their tolerance of ambiguity.MethodsIntervention study using the qualitative microanalysis research method, based on videotaped observations that were analyzed through Kamin’s model of CT and non-CT. The study was conducted at Bar-Ilan University’s Faculty of Medicine in the years 2017–2019. Forty-four students and 4 facilitators participated, equally split between 4 small groups. Twenty-four medical ethics SGL sessions at the beginning and end of the year were videotaped, 2 groups – with no intervention, 1 group included partial debate intervention and 1 group fully used debates. Results were compared for changes in CT and ambiguity before and during the intervention period.ResultsThe full intervention (debating) group had the highest increase in utterances reflecting CT, thus actually doubling the median number of CT utterances at the end of the year in comparison to the median number at the beginning of the year. In a similar manner, the debate group exhibited the only group in which there was an increase in the median utterances of tolerance to ambiguity. Nevertheless, the debate group also exhibited the largest increase in the median non-CT utterances and the lowest decrease of intolerance to ambiguity, when comparing the end of the year to the beginning of the year sessions.ConclusionsDebating is an important enhancement to SGL in medical ethics; however, it does not guarantee a complete absence of non-CT.

Learning from noticing: elementary mathematics preservice teachers’ noticing and responsiveness on lesson modification

ABSTRACT This study aimed to characterise preservice teachers’ (PSTs’) noticing in a mathematics classroom and its influence on their lesson modification. Written narratives on video-taped lesson observation were analysed qualitatively in two components, attending and reasoning. The findings indicate that PSTs’ initial noticing focused on general instruction-learning strategies and considered students as a main agency of the classroom activities. PSTs’ reasoning of their initial noticing and responsiveness was grouped into four categories: interpretive, descriptive, evaluative and noveltive reasoning. These different types of reasoning explained how they used their analysis of noticing to make a decision on lesson modification. Findings suggest that PSTs need opportunities to analyse practices with articulated vocabulary and framework in order to develop meaningful noticing involving attentive, analytic, and responsive abilities.

Mealtime nonverbal behaviors in nursing home staff and residents with dementia: Behavioral analyses of videotaped observations

This study characterized mealtime nonverbal behaviors of nursing home staff and residents with dementia and examined the relationships between individual characteristics and nonverbal behaviors. Videotaped observations (N=110) involving 25 residents and 29 staff (42 unique staff-resident dyads) in 9 nursing homes were coded using the refined Cue Utilization and Engagement in Dementia Mealtime Video-Coding Scheme. Wilcoxon rank-sum test or Kruskal-Wallis test were used for continuous characteristics, and Fisher's exact test for categorical characteristics. Residents primarily exhibited challenging behaviors including resistive behaviors (35.7%), chewing/swallowing difficulties (33.5%), and functional impairments (9.9%), followed by positive/neutral behaviors (20.9%). Staff primarily used person-centered behavioral strategies, including modifications of: 1) resident abilities (41.9%), 2) care approaches (35.1%), and 3) dining environment (13.6%), followed by task-centered behaviors (9.3%). Residents challenging behaviors were correlated with staff person-centered behavioral strategies. Dyadic nonverbal behaviors were correlated with multiple individual characteristics. Understanding dyadic nonverbal interactions facilitates use of person-centered, multilevel, behavioral strategies to optimize mealtime outcomes.

Joint Attention in Human and Chimpanzee Infants in Varied Socio-Ecological Contexts.

Joint attention (JA) is an early manifestation of social cognition, commonly described as interactions in which an infant looks or gestures to an adult female to share attention about an object, within a positive emotional atmosphere. We label this description the JA phenotype. We argue that characterizing JA in this way reflects unexamined assumptions which are, in part, due to past developmental researchers' primary focus on western, middle-class infants and families. We describe a range of cultural variations in caregiving practices, socialization goals, and parenting ethnotheories as an essential initial step in viewing joint attention within inclusive and contextualized perspectives. We begin the process of conducting a decolonized study of JA by considering the core construct of joint attention (i.e., triadic connectedness) and adopting culturally inclusive definitions (labeled joint engagement [JE]). Our JE definitions allow for attention and engagement to be expressed in visual and tactile modalities (e.g., for infants experiencing distal or proximal caregiving), with various social partners (e.g., peers, older siblings, mothers), with a range of shared topics (e.g., representing diverse socialization goals, and socio-ecologies with and without toys), and with a range of emotional tone (e.g., for infants living in cultures valuing calmness and low arousal, and those valuing exuberance). Our definition of JE includes initiations from either partner (to include priorities for adult-led or child-led interactions). Our next foundational step is making an ecological commitment to naturalistic observations (Dahl,2017, Child Dev Perspect, 11(2), 79-84): We measure JE while infants interact within their own physical and social ecologies. This commitment allows us to describe JE as it occurs in everyday contexts, without constraints imposed by researchers. Next, we sample multiple groups of infants drawn from diverse socio-ecological settings. Moreover, we include diverse samples of chimpanzee infants to compare with diverse samples of human infants, to investigate the extent to which JE is unique to humans, and to document diversity both within and between species. We sampled human infants living in three diverse settings. U.K. infants (n = 8) were from western, middle-class families living near universities in the south of England. Nso infants (n = 12) were from communities of subsistence farmers in Cameroon, Africa. Aka infants (n = 10) were from foraging communities in the tropical rain forests of Central African Republic, Africa. We coded behavioral details of JE from videotaped observations (taken between 2004 and 2010). JE occurred in the majority of coded intervals (Mdn = 68%), supporting a conclusion that JE is normative for human infants. The JA phenotype, in contrast, was infrequent, and significantly more common in the U.K. (Mdn = 10%) than the other groups (Mdn < 3%). We found significant within-species diversity in JE phenotypes (i.e., configurations of predominant forms of JE characteristics). We conclude that triadic connectedness is very common in human infants, but there is significant contextualization of behavioral forms of JE. We also studied chimpanzee infants living in diverse socio-ecologies. The PRI/Zoo chimpanzee infants (n = 7) were from captive, stable groups of mixed ages and sexes, and included 4 infants from the Chester Zoo, U.K. and 3 from the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan. The Gombe chimpanzee infants (n = 12) were living in a dynamically changing, wild community in the Gombe National Park, Tanzania, Africa. Additionally, we include two Home chimpanzee infants who were reared from birth by a female scientist, in the combined U.S., middle-class contexts of home and university cognition laboratory. JE was coded from videotaped observations (taken between 1993 and 2006). JE occurred during the majority of coded intervals (Mdn = 64%), consistent with the position that JE is normative for chimpanzee infants. The JA phenotype, in contrast, was rare, but more commonly observed in the two Home chimpanzee infants (in 8% and 2% of intervals) than in other chimpanzee groups (Mdns = 0%). We found within-species diversity in the configurations comprising the JE phenotypes. We conclude that triadic connectedness is very common in chimpanzee infants, but behavioral forms of joint engagement are contextualized. We compared JE across species, and found no species-uniqueness in behavioral forms, JE characteristics, or JE phenotypes. Both human and chimpanzee infants develop contextualized social cognition. Within-species diversity is embraced when triadic connectedness is described with culturally inclusive definitions. In contrast, restricting definitions to the JA phenotype privileges a behavioral form most valued in western, middle-class socio-ecologies, irrespective of whether the interactions involve human or chimpanzee infants. Our study presents a model for how to decolonize an important topic in developmental psychology. Decolonization is accomplished by defining the phenomenon inclusively, embracing diversity in sampling, challenging claims of human-uniqueness, and having an ecological commitment to observe infant social cognition as it occurs within everyday socio-ecological contexts. It is essential that evolutionary and developmental theories of social cognition are re-built on more inclusive and decolonized empirical foundations.

Mealtime nonverbal communications among nursing home staff and residents with dementia: A secondary analysis of videotaped observations

AbstractBackgroundMealtime difficulties are common among nursing home (NH) residents with dementia. Quality communications between staff and residents are critical to engage residents in eating. This study characterized dyadic nonverbal communications between nursing home staff and residents and evaluated relationships of nonverbal communications with individual characteristics.MethodsThis secondary analysis of 110 videotaped mealtime observations involved 25 residents and 29 staff (42 unique dyads) in 9 NHs. Nonverbal communication behaviors were coded using the refined Cue Utilization and Engagement in Dementia mealtime video‐coding scheme. Codes for staff nonverbal behaviors include 8 negative and 26 positive behaviors (modification for resident ability n=12, care approaches n=7, and dining environment n=7). Codes for resident nonverbal behaviors include 5 positive/neutral behaviors and 22 negative behaviors (chewing/swallowing difficulties n=4, functional impairment n=6, and resistive behaviors n=12).ResultsStaff modifications for resident ability (41.9%) were more prevalent than modifications of care approaches (35.1%) and dining environment (13.6%). Staff negative behaviors (9.3%) (33.5%) were more frequent compared to functional impairment (9.9%). Residents demonstrated positive/neutral behaviors (20.9%). Resident chewing/swallowing difficulties were correlated with resident eating function (p=.002). Resident functional impairment was correlated with staff education (p=.026) and resident age (p=.013), gender (p=.013), and dementia stage (p=.003). Resistive behaviors were correlated with resident comorbidity (p=.003), dementia stage (p=.049), and eating function (p=.001). Resident positive behaviors were correlated with staff race (p=.005) and resident age (p=.002), dementia stage (p=.049), and eating function (p=.002). Modifications for resident functional/cognitive ability were correlated with resident eating function (p&lt;.001), while modifications of care approaches were correlated with staff race (p&lt;.001) and years in current NH (p&lt;.001), as well as with resident gender (p=.003) and eating function (p&lt;.049). Modifications of dining environment were correlated with staff gender (p=.017) and years in current NH (p=.046), as well as with resident dementia stage (p=.008) and eating function (p&lt;.001). Staff negative behaviors were correlated with resident comorbidity (p=.008).ConclusionsDyadic mealtime nonverbal communications were dynamic, interactive, and complex. Multiple individual characteristics were related to dyadic nonverbal communications. Findings may inform development of individualized, person‐centered mealtime care interventions.

Leaders and Followers during Sociodramatic Play: A Study of Racial/Ethnic Minority Preschool Children from Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Backgrounds

ABSTRACT Sociodramatic play is considered a critical context within which child leaders and followers may naturally emerge, while their cognitive abilities (e.g., theory of mind) and social competence are developed and applied. This study investigated child leadership and followership during sociodramatic play among 20 racial/ethnic minority 3- and 4-year-olds (70% of whom Spanish-speaking), all from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, in two mixed-age and mixed-gender preschool classrooms. Ten videotaped observations of these children during sociodramatic play were transcribed and analyzed. The findings revealed that the four most prominent leaders were all girls in the older group of 4-year-olds. They were also more cognitively, socially, and linguistically advanced than their peers. Except for one leader who could be characterized as a dominator, the other three as directors, sharing similar leadership characteristics. The four most prominent followers (two boys and two girls) could be characterized as complaisant conformists. Contrary to findings of previous studies, when playing with peers from similar backgrounds, socioeconomically disadvantaged children were capable of participating in sociodramatic play and exhibiting various effectiveness in leadership and followership, reflecting potentially their developmental characteristics, physical ecology, language abilities, social experiences, and theory of mind.