Examined the effect of experience on children's use of video-presented information. Found that after seeing themselves "live" on their family television for 2 weeks, 2-year-olds reliably used a live video presentation of an adult hiding a toy to find the toy in an object-retrieval task. Most also transferred what they learned to a task…

Analyzed message strategies used by teachers while intervening in toddler disputes. Found that teachers rarely requested information from toddlers during or following conflicts, thus not allowing disputes to be resolved through negotiation. Instead teachers usually used "stop" commands. Teachers intervened in disputes every five minutes,…

Notes that time-outs have become a preferred method for setting limits with preschool children, and illustrates why this method is not developmentally appropriate for use with toddlers. Suggests that caregivers should join young children at play, be alert for learning opportunities, and develop practices to minimize conflicts. (LBT)

Parents of 30-month-old children were assessed on measures of affectivity, personality, and behavior. Parents of inhibited children showed lower extraversion, higher avoidance and shyness, and faster drawing times on a task that involved uncertainty than did parents of uninhibited children. (Author/BC)

Compared the impact of a small box emitting sounds in response to nearby motion introduced into an infant/toddler and a preschool classroom to illustrate qualitative differences in how children of different ages recognize the same objects as mediating devices for activity. Found that the box became a social object for infants/toddlers and part of…

Compared food texture preferences during infancy and toddlerhood. Found that infants displayed more negative expressions and head and body movements in response to complex textures than to simple textures. Toddlers displayed more positive head and body movements and more eagerness in response to complex than to simple textures. Experience with…

In this study, 126 children were observed at 6 months, 12 months, and 2 years. During infancy, latencies to reach for novel objects were measured. At 2 years, positive and negative affect, and behavioral approach-inhibition to low- and high-intensity situations were coded, and mothers assessed behavior problems. Confirmatory factor analysis…

This study compared behavioral presentation of toddlers with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and toddlers with global developmental delay (DD) or developmental language disorder (DLD) who display some characteristics of ASD using the diagnostic algorithm items from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Generic (ADOS), the Childhood Autism…

This study investigated toddlers' reactions to morally related events to determine whether age was a factor in emotional reaction, whether the middle of the second year was a salient time for the emergence of emotional reactions to such events, and whether heart rate change could be used as a new measure of moral responsivity. While their heart…

Studied how toddlers respond to interactive multimedia. Found that 2- to 3-year olds can engage in computer interactions, but that purposeful and meaningful interactions may not begin until children are about two-and-a-half years old. Prior knowledge plays a strong role in toddlers' computer experience. Human interaction is vital to help…

Studied frequency and style of help-seeking in 18- and 24-month olds observed at free play and problem-solving. Found that younger toddlers sought less help than older toddlers; both groups sought more help during problem solving than in free play. Older toddlers increased vocal help-seeking whereas younger toddlers sought help through vocal and…

Multiple sleep problems of a 2-year-old girl improved following treatment with a faded bedtime with response cost procedure. If she fell asleep within 15 minutes of the scheduled bedtime, her bedtime the following night was 30 minutes earlier; however, if she did not fall asleep it was 30 minutes later. (Author/CR)

Data on 11 samples of 1,012 toddlers used to construct and validate the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (TBAQ) revealed that the component of negative affectivity (anger proneness and fearfulness) were independent, and item analysis suggested that shyness and other fears were independent as well. (MDM)

This study examined the stability and continuity of early-identified behavior problems and the factors associated with this stability. Children and their mothers (N=125) were seen when the children were 2 and 4 years of age. Maternal reports of child externalizing behavior and laboratory observations of child noncompliance were stable from age 2…

The author presents an overview of basic concepts of early childhood temperament and argues that child behavior is the result of the interplay between nature and culture. Due to inconsistencies in the field, temperament research and clinical application can be challenging for early childhood practitioners to interpret and apply to their daily…