We examine the contributions of dynamic systems theory to the field of cognitive development, focusing on modeling using dynamic neural fields. After introducing central concepts of dynamic field theory (DFT), we probe empirical predictions and findings around two examples--the DFT of infant perseverative reaching that explains Piaget's A-not-B…

Over a 100-day period, 6 children between 9 and 21 months were videotaped interacting with their mothers while the children were learning to walk, eat, and dress themselves. Found that mothers supported dependent behavior before tasks were begun; dependent and independent behavior when children were learning tasks; and neither dependent nor…

Advises parents to relax and learn to recognize the signs that a child is physically and emotionally ready for the next developmental step. Developmental milestones discussed include riding in a backpack, moving to a forward-facing car seat, using eating utensils, taking time-out, and moving from crib to a bed. (HTH)

Twenty-five one-year-olds were administered two tasks (each of which consisted of a familiarization stage followed by a recognition stage) in order to determine whether infants can recognize the shapes of objects by touch alone. (CM)

Many developmental theories that emphasize the importance of developmental task attainment imply that there is a degree of homogeneity in the developmental histories of children with serious disorders. From the perspective of developmental psychopathology, however, children identified as having serious emotional or behavioral disorders are likely…

Both observational techniques indicated similar findings in age-related behavior changes. Continuous-recording yielded a more molecular analysis and was concluded to be more desirable for collecting naturalistic observation data. (ST)

This paper describes a series of longitudinal experiments which dealt with the development of object awareness in infants, ages 6-18 months. The experiments were designed to document and evaluate Piaget's account of this development. The studies focused on two types of phenomena: (1) when infants first find an object hidden in one place, they will…

Three longitudinal studies examined means-ends behavior of 6- to 8-month olds. Found that intentional means-end behavior increased between 6 and 7 months, with 7-month olds' performance influenced by the presence of a toy on the cloth. Performance was the same when cloth was attached to or separate from the toy. By 8 months, infants adjusted…

Infants' sensitivity to social contingencies was assessed. In Study 1, 1-month-old infants and their mothers interacted face-to-face in three types of imperfect contingent interactions: Normal, Non-Contingent and Imitation. One-month-old infants did not discriminate these conditions. In Study 2, 3-month-old infants were tested as in Study 1. At 3…

A series of easy activities for parents or caregivers to use in guiding the developmental progress of children at the infant, toddler, and preschool levels. (Author)

Reports on day-care and preschool programs in Czechoslovakia and East Germany, describing infant-toddler care, preschool programs, research projects, parent involvement, and future trends. (DB)

In 1974, the Facilitating Educational Achievement through Telecommunications (FEATT) project began a study to test the efficacy of specially produced video cassettes to teach parents of severely handicapped children how to instruct their children in basic psychomotor skills. Fifty families in Northern Indiana agreed to field test the tapes.…

This booklet reviews the developmental tasks and needs of infants and toddlers, describes the support for healthy development currently available in the United States, and documents needs which are not being met. Two major initiatives are proposed and strategies for their implementation are recommended. Proposals argue for the (1) establishment of…

This paper presents a system for synthesizing the educational objectives of infant curricula and illustrates the procedure by reviewing the synthesis of several specific objectives of the Carolina Infant Curriculum. Five sources are used in the synthetic process: (1) consumer opinions, (2) developmental theory, (3) developmental facts, (4)…