Mariani Mansor

Theory of mind in bilingual and monolingual preschool children

Abstract This research examined whether theory of mind (ToM) development differs in bilingual and monolingual preschool children. Three false belief tasks were given to 163 Kurdish-Persian bilingual and Persian monolingual preschool children. Bilingual children performed significantly better than monolingual children in their ToM. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that, bilingualism contributed significantly to the prediction of preschoolers’ ToM development when age and verbal ability were controlled.

Parental Demographics and Preschool Children's Theory of Mind

Abstract This research investigates the difference between theory of mind (ToM) and parental demographics of preschool children. One hundred and sixty six 3.6- to- 5.6 year old children were tested on three standard false belief tasks and a verbal ability test. A significant difference was found between mother’s occupational status and ToM. However, hierarchical regression analysis showed that mother’s occupational status was a significant predictor of children’s ToM development after controlling for age and verbal ability.

How marital relations affect child behavior: review of recent research

The development of children over time is one of the continuing aims of psychological inquiry. Many studies have concluded that children who grew up in dysfunctional households show inconsistent development across various developmental pathways. Previous studies have consistently concluded how different family factors, such as interparents relationship, parent–child relationships, and emotional relations in families, can explain the outcomes of child behavior problems. Therefore, this paper attempts to review the empirical findings of previous studies that assess the effects of marital relations on child behavioral development by reviewing the literature that supports the association between marital relations and behavioral problems of children. Twenty-seven studies were chosen for their outcomes. This review used online databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, ProQuest, Psychological and Behavioral Science collection, SAGE full-text collection in psychology, and PsycINFO. The key words used were marital relation, marital conflict, marital satisfaction, child behavior problem, and offspring behavior adjustment. All articles hypothesized that marital relation affects child adjustment and behavior outcomes directly and indirectly. Approximately all the research samples were in the developmental stage (ages 3 to 12). Various methodologies were used in the studies, but some methodological defects in the literature in some way diminished the interpretation of their findings. Results revealed that children who come from families high in conflict are at risk of psychopathological developmental problems in their adolescent years. This review adds to a large collection of literature that highlights the damaging effects of marital conflict on children. Research limitations and suggestions for future studies are outlined. The study provides a concrete basis for further research on this topic considering that married couples and child behavior problems are varied. This review can benefit married and soon-to-be married couples by revealing perceptions into the experiences of others as regards marriage problem solving.

Measurement of Indoor Air Quality Parameters in Daycare Centres in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

This paper focuses on the monitoring of indoor air quality parameters, namely: indoor temperature, humidity, velocity, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in day care centres. This study selected 15 day care centres located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. These day care centres were categorized as follows: (1) day care centers near an industrial area, (2) day care centers near a main road, and (3) day care centers in a residential area. The obtained data showed that the values for the indoor air quality parameters in all day care centres were still well below the recommended value according to the Department of Safety and Health, Malaysia. The day care centers near an industrial area had the highest value of carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide as compared to the day care centers near a main road and the day care centers in a residential area. The average concentrations of carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide in the day care centers near an industrial area were 3.67 ppm and 801.56 ppm respectively. Meanwhile, the carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide in the day care centers near a main road area and the day care centers in a residential area were 3.13 ppm, 768.22 ppm, 2.92 ppm and 733.70 ppm, respectively.