This work analyzes spontaneous cooperation between children who participated in Automata for STEM, European Union funded Erasmus+ project workshops. Taking into account the characteristics of automata, that involve a narrative part and a mechanism, the project used them to implement contextualized and interdisciplinary STEM activities. The…

The concept of open functions was introduced to capture an intended feature of van Eyck's seminal play sculptures -- they do not suggest a specific action. In a recent study, Van der Schaaf, A. L., S. R. Caljouw, and R. Withagen. (2020. "Are Children Attracted to Play Elements with an Open Function?" "Ecological Psychology" 32:…

This meta-analytic study examined the associations between child-father attachment in early childhood and children's externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. Based on 15 samples (N = 1,304 dyads), the association between child-father attachment insecurity and externalizing behaviors was significant and moderate in magnitude (r = 0.18,…

Prior studies investigating restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB) subtypes within autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have found varied factor structures for symptom groupings, in part, due to variation in symptom measurement and broad sample age ranges. This study examined RRBs among 827 preschool-age children, ages 35 to 71 months, through an…

Background: Early school dropout is an economic, social, and individual problem. School dropout is a result of cumulative processes that occur over many childhood years. Despite the influence of level of education on health outcomes, primary prevention of dropout outside of the school setting is rare. In the Netherlands, the Youth Health Care…

Child temperament is a predictor of non-verbal ability (i.e. thinking and problem-solving skills that do not fundamentally require verbal language production and comprehension). Given that temperament scores might vary depending on whether the reporter is a parent or a teacher, this study analyses (a) whether those reports are different and (b)…

Over the past 20+ years, researchers have worked toward identifying early behavioral predictors of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developing observation-based screeners to supplement existing parent-report methods. This study is a follow-up, 3 to 8 years later, with parents/caregivers of 57 children previously enrolled in a U.S.…

A single-case multiple baseline design across three families was used to evaluate the impact of a manualized Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Families (PTR-F) process for addressing challenging behavior (CB) when delivered in a remote format (PTR-F: R). Results across three U.S. families showed that (a) a functional relation existed between parent…

Electronic product use among preschool children is gradually widespread. To explore whether and how electronic product use causes problem behaviours in preschool children, this study analyses the relationships between the degree of electronic product use, problem behaviours, and the roles of parenting styles and parent-child relationships in…

While Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) play a crucial role in children's and parents' ability to maintain routines, their impact during armed conflicts remains understudied. During a 10-day military operation in Israel involving missile launches, we conducted an online survey among parents of children aged 1-7, to assess the relationship…

A novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has spread widely throughout the world. To reduce the spread of infection, children are prevented from going to school and have fewer opportunities for in-person communication. Such changes in the everyday lives of children might influence their socio-emotional behaviors; however, the whole picture of the possible…

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Social-Emotional Assessment Measure (SEAM) (33-66 months), which is designed to assess social-emotional difficulties and behavior disorders in young children. In this case, the SEAM was translated and back-translated. The sample included 2477 preschoolers (1256 boys;…

Significant socioeconomic disparities exist across the neighborhoods where children grow up today, which may exacerbate inequities in children's educational opportunities (Leventhal et al., 2015; Leventhal & Dupere, 2019; Mijs & Roe, 2021; Reardon et al., 2018). Prior research documents associations between neighborhood socioeconomic…

Previous studies suggest that child behavior problems were associated with higher levels of parenting stress and depressive symptoms in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parents' coping strategies have been found to provide potential buffering effects. Thus, this study investigated the mediation effect of coping strategies…

Project Construct is a learner-centered constructivist framework that emphasizes positive teacher-student relationships, autonomy, and child-led experiences. Constructivist pedagogy promote cognitive, behavioral, and academic outcomes. Yet, novice teachers struggle to grasp constructivist teaching practices and tend to emphasize teacher-directed…