Cosby S. Rogers

Perceptions of well‐being among child care teachers

The perception of well‐being among 235 randomly selected teachers was investigated in the context of ten different child care activities. The term well‐being was defined as a linear composite of ratings on the Happiness and Relaxation scales. The results indicated that child related education, experience, and their interaction do not influence the overall well‐being of teachers. However, the well‐being changed significantly across child care activities and the pattern of changes was dependent on the amount of child care experience. Nurturing children and working with parents were found to be the most enjoyable and least stressful tasks. Not surprisingly, supervision of toileting was the least liked activity and controlling childrens behavior was the most stressful task. The well‐being of caregivers was considered a key to delivering quality child care.

Paternal Child-Feeding Attitudes and Obesity in School-Age Sons

The relationship between the fathers, or male guardians, attitude toward the use of food as (a) a reward, (b) a punishment, (c) a soothing agent, or (d) an expres sion of affection and selected measures of obesity in the respective school-age son was assessed. Seventy-two fathers (male guardians) of 6- to 8-year-old sons responded. A 30-item child-feeding opinion questionnaire was used to assess attitudes toward the use of food in a contingency manner. A positive correlation was found between paternal attitude toward the use of food as a reward, soothing agent, and expression of affection, and the triceps skinfold thickness of the sons. No correlation was observed between the score on the punishment subscale and triceps skinfold measures. Although correlation coefficients were low, results indicate a possible positive relationship between the paternal use of food in a contingency manner and selected anthropometric measures in the son.

Child Care Decisions among Female Heads of Households with School-Age Children.

Depth interviews with 16 urban female heads of households (FHHs) were the basis of this qualitative study on decisions regarding child care for school-age children. FHHs attempted to choose care that was compatible with their role as provider and with their resources. Resources included knowledge of caregivers and settings, network support, and material resources (income and car). Women who had limited resources and restrictive provider roles functioned by forced choice and were at risk for decisions that violated their own goals and values. Feelings, values, and childrens opinions played a role in decisions.

You Are Not the Boss of Me: How Japanese Teachers Delegate Authority to Children Through Play

The word “play”—a concept universally associated with childhood—is used countless times each day by early childhood educators, parents, and children themselves around the world. However, its meaning, purpose, and relationship with child development and learning are anything but universally accepted. Many cultures view play as vital for fostering the development and future learning of children. Others, such as the Japanese, understand play more as something that should be appreciated for what it is in the present, without regard for future-oriented aims or potential impact. The role of teachers in the play process, whether as observers, facilitators, or even participants, is also the subject of much debate. In light of the growing global emphasis on child-centered education, an exploration of these diverse perspectives can help early childhood educators to reflect on their own beliefs, values, and assumptions related to this quintessential childhood pursuit.

Adult choice of toys affects children's prosocial and antisocial behavior

The effect of short‐term exposure of neutral, prosocial, and antisocial toys on the prosocial and antisocial behavior of preschool children was studied during free play. The results indicated that prosocial toys elicit prosocial behavior and antisocial toys stimulate antisocial behavior. In response to both prosocial and antisocial toys, boys displayed more physical than verbal behavior while girls displayed more verbal than physical behavior. The increase in prosocial and antisocial behavior diminished when respective prosocial and antisocial toys were withdrawn. When prosocial and antisocial toys were withdrawn and neutral toys were reintroduced, the prosocial and antisocial behavior returned to the baseline level that was recorded in the beginning of the experiment. The extent to which prosocial and antisocial behavior is retained over time needs further investigation.

Social Experiences and Stranger Anxiety among Infants of Working and Nonworking Mothers.

Social experiences and stranger anxiety of infants of working (n=25) mothers were compared with those of infants of nonworking mothers (n=51) using the Goulet-Decarie modification (1974) of the infant-stranger prototype developed by Morgan & Riccuiti (1969). The number of hours spent in mother-child interaction on weekdays (F=3.30, p<.08) and weekends (F=2.07, p>.10) did not differ according to mother’s work status (working vs. nonworking). Working mothers and nonworking mothers performed approximately the same number of caregiving tasks daily. Working mothers and nonworking mothers did not differ significantly on the age at which they first took their infants on a trip outside the home (t(67)=1.30, p<.10). The effects of mother’s employment status, sex of the infant, and age of the infant on the intensity of anxiety experienced by infants in the experimental approach by a stranger were analyzed. Overall, the responses were slightly positive. Maternal work status was not found to be a significant parameter in infant reactions to a stranger except when physical contact was involved.RésuméLes expériences sociales et les réactions d’anxiété face à la personne étrangère ont été comparées chez les poupons de 25 mères qui travaillent en dehors du foyer et de 51 mères qui travaillen au foyer en utilisant le protocole de Goulet-Décarie (1974), lequel modifie celui de Morgan et Riccuiti (1969) portant sur le pouponpersonne étrangère. Le nombre d’heures passé en interaction mère-enfant durant la semaine (F=3.30,p<.08) et durant la fin de semaine (F=2.07,p>.10) n’a pas changé en fonction du status de travail de la mère (en dehors ou au foyer). Tous les deux groupes ont offert approximativement le même nombre d’heures de soins par jour. De plus, ces groupes n’ont pas différé de façon significative dans l’âge de sortie de l’enfant pour la première fois à l’extérieur du foyer (t(67)=1.30,p<.10). L’étude analyse les effets du status de l’emploi de la mère, le sexe et l’âge de l’enfant et l’intensité d’anxiété vécue par l’enfant selon le modèle expérimental, lorsqu’ approché par une personne étrangère. En général, les réponses ont été légèrement positives. Le status de travail de la mère n’a pas semblé être un paramètre significatif dans les réactions de l’enfant à la personne étrangère, sauf lorsque le contact physique y a été impliqué.ResumenSe compararon las experiencias sociales y la ansiedad hacia la persona extranjera en los infantes de 25 madres que mantienen un empleo, con’las de infantes de 51 madres que trabajan en sus hogares, usando el protocolo de Goulet-Décarie (1974) el cual modifica aquel desarrollado por Morgan y Riccuiti (1969) sobre infante-persona extranjera. Las horas pasadas en interacción entre la madre y el niño durante la semana (F=3.30,p<.08) y durante el fin de semana (F=2.07,p>.10) no cambiaron según la condición de trabajo de la madre (dentro o fuera del hogar). Ambos grupos ejecutaron aproximadamente el mismo número de tareas de cuidado al día. Además, ninguno de los dos grupos difirió significativamente en la edad en que sacaron sus niños por primera vez fuera del hogar (t (67)=1.30,p<.10). Se analizó el efecto de la condición de trabajo, del sexo y de la edad del infante, en la intensidad de ansiedad vivida por el niño en el diseño experimental cuando una persona extranjera se aproximaba. En general, las respuestas fueron relativamente positivas. La condición del trabajo maternal no paració, ser un parámetro significativo en las reacciones del infante hacia el extranjero, excepto cuando se trató de contacto físico.

Family Therapists' Responses to Normal Developmental Behavior Problems.

A randomly selected sample (N = 121 respondents) of members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy responded to three hypothetical case studies, each depicting a presenting problem which could be normal for each of three developmental levels. The proportion of therapists to mention normal development as a possible explanation for the behavior problem was 11.6 percent for Case 1 (a four-year-old seeking independence), 32.2 percent for Case 2 (a one-year-old with separation anxiety), and 9.9% for Case 3 (a nine-year-old with night fears). For each case, chi square analyses showed no differences ac cording to sex, education, parent status, and age of own children in terms of the proportion of counselors giving developmental responses. The low percentage of developmental responses may point to the need for additional developmental studies as part of therapist training curricula. Alternatively, the theoretical orien tation of the respondents may have determined the focus of their responses.