scholarly journals The Early Humor Survey (EHS): A reliable parent-report measure of humor development for 1- to 47-month-olds

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Hoicka ◽  
Burcu Soy Telli ◽  
Eloise Prouten ◽  
George Leckie ◽  
William J. Browne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Parent Education ◽  
Strong Correlation ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Making Friends ◽  
Report Measure

AbstractWe created a 20-item parent-report measure of humor development from 1 to 47 months: the Early Humor Survey (EHS). We developed the EHS with Study 1 (N = 219) using exploratory factor analysis, demonstrating the EHS works with 1- to 47-month-olds with excellent reliability and a strong correlation with age, showing its developmental trajectory. We replicated the EHS with Study 2 (N = 587), revealing a one-factor structure, showing excellent reliability, and replicating a strong correlation with age. Study 3 (N = 84) found the EHS correlated with a humor experiment, however it no longer correlated once age was accounted for, suggesting low convergent validity. Subsamples of parents from Studies 2 and 3 showed excellent inter-observer reliability between both parents, and good longitudinal stability after 6 months. Combining participants from all studies, we found the EHS is reliable across countries (Australia, United Kingdom, United States), parent education levels, and children’s age groups. We charted expected humor development by age (in months), and the expected proportion of children who would appreciate each humor type by age (in months). Finally, we found no demographic differences (e.g., country: Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States; parents’ education) in humor when pooling all data. The EHS is a valuable tool that will allow researchers to understand how humor: (1) emerges; and (2) affects other aspects of life, e.g., making friends, coping with stress, and creativity. The EHS is helpful for parents, early years educators, and children’s media, as it systematically charts early humor development.

scholarly journals The Early Social Cognition Inventory (ESCI): An examination of its psychometric properties from birth to 47 months

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Hoicka ◽  
Burcu Soy-Telli ◽  
Eloise Prouten ◽  
George Leckie ◽  
William J. Browne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Parent Education ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Structure Study ◽  
Internal Reliability ◽  
Current Test ◽  
Test Retest Reliability ◽  
Report Measure

AbstractSocial cognition refers to a broad range of cognitive processes and skills that allow individuals to interact with and understand others, including a variety of skills from infancy through preschool and beyond, e.g., joint attention, imitation, and belief understanding. However, no measures examine socio-cognitive development from birth through preschool. Current test batteries and parent-report measures focus either on infancy, or toddlerhood through preschool (and beyond). We report six studies in which we developed and tested a new 21-item parent-report measure of social cognition targeting 0–47 months: the Early Social Cognition Inventory (ESCI). Study 1 (N = 295) revealed the ESCI has excellent internal reliability, and a two-factor structure capturing social cognition and age. Study 2 (N = 605) also showed excellent internal reliability and confirmed the two-factor structure. Study 3 (N = 84) found a medium correlation between the ESCI and a researcher-administered social cognition task battery. Study 4 (N = 46) found strong 1-month test–retest reliability. Study 5 found longitudinal stability (6 months: N = 140; 12 months: N = 39), and inter-observer reliability between parents (N = 36) was good, and children’s scores increased significantly over 6 and 12 months. Study 6 showed the ESCI was internally reliable within countries (Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Trinidad and Tobago); parent ethnicity; parent education; and age groups from 4–39 months. ESCI scores positively correlated with household income (UK); children with siblings had higher scores; and Australian parents reported lower scores than American, British, and Canadian parents.

scholarly journals An Early Years Toolbox for Assessing Early Executive Function, Language, Self-Regulation, and Social Development: Validity, Reliability, and Preliminary Norms

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Howard ◽  
Edward Melhuish
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Early Assessment ◽  
Study Results

Several methods of assessing executive function (EF), self-regulation, language development, and social development in young children have been developed over previous decades. Yet new technologies make available methods of assessment not previously considered. In resolving conceptual and pragmatic limitations of existing tools, the Early Years Toolbox (EYT) offers substantial advantages for early assessment of language, EF, self-regulation, and social development. In the current study, results of our large-scale administration of this toolbox to 1,764 preschool and early primary school students indicated very good reliability, convergent validity with existing measures, and developmental sensitivity. Results were also suggestive of better capture of children’s emerging abilities relative to comparison measures. Preliminary norms are presented, showing a clear developmental trajectory across half-year age groups. The accessibility of the EYT, as well as its advantages over existing measures, offers considerably enhanced opportunities for objective measurement of young children’s abilities to enable research and educational applications.

scholarly journals Early Executive Functions Questionnaire

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Hendry ◽  
Karla Holmboe
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Measure Development ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Good Internal Consistency ◽  
Report Measure

The Early Executive Functions Questionnaire (EEFQ) is a 31-item parent-report measure which complements temperament measures by targeting cognitive and regulatory capabilities. Exploratory Factor Analysis with 2 samples of 9-to 30-month-olds (n=486; 304) indicates that Inhibitory Control, Flexibility and Working Memory scales load onto a common ‘Cognitive Executive Function (CEF)’ factor, whilst a fourth scale, Regulation, does not. CEF and Regulation scores show low floor and ceiling effects (<1%), good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha >.75), short-term stability (bivariate correlations across 3-6 months >.38), and convergent validity with extant measures of attentional control. Only CEF scores increase with age. With the EEFQ it is now possible to use parent report to measure development of EF skills across infancy and toddlerhood.

The link between coronavirus, anxiety, and religious beliefs in the United States and United Kingdom

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Rigoli
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Christian Faith ◽  
Stressful Event ◽  
Cultural Implications ◽  
The Impact

Research has shown that stress impacts on people’s religious beliefs. However, several aspects of this effect remain poorly understood, for example regarding the role of prior religiosity and stress-induced anxiety. This paper explores these aspects in the context of the recent coronavirus emergency. The latter has impacted dramatically on many people’s well-being; hence it can be considered a highly stressful event. Through online questionnaires administered to UK and USA citizens professing either Christian faith or no religion, this paper examines the impact of the coronavirus crisis upon common people’s religious beliefs. We found that, following the coronavirus emergency, strong believers reported higher confidence in their religious beliefs while non-believers reported increased scepticism towards religion. Moreover, for strong believers, higher anxiety elicited by the coronavirus threat was associated with increased strengthening of religious beliefs. Conversely, for non-believers, higher anxiety elicited by the coronavirus thereat was associated with increased scepticism towards religious beliefs. These observations are consistent with the notion that stress-induced anxiety enhances support for the ideology already embraced before a stressful event occurs. This study sheds light on the psychological and cultural implications of the coronavirus crisis, which represents one of the most serious health emergencies in recent times.

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