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Szojka ZA, Lyon TD. Children's Elaborated Responses to Yes-No Questions in Forensic Interviews About Sexual Abuse. CHILD MALTREATMENT 2024; 29:637-647. [PMID: 38048761 DOI: 10.1177/10775595231220228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Children tend to answer yes-no questions with unelaborated "yes" and "no" responses, but the types of details likely omitted from unelaborated answers have not been explored. This study examined 379 4- to 12-year-olds' answers to yes-no questions in forensic interviews about CSA (N = 11,187), focusing on age differences in elaborated responses. As expected, older children elaborated more frequently than younger children. Our novel categorization of elaboration types revealed that although there were no age differences in children's use of nominal corrections (correcting a label), or in emphatic negations (giving forceful denials), older children were more likely to give narrative elaborations (providing additional narrative information), wh-elaborations (answering implicit wh-questions), and qualified elaborations (avoiding potentially misleading implications of unelaborated "yes" and "no" responses). The results suggest that children's developing understanding of the implied meaning of questions and responses helps to explain age differences in elaborative responses to yes-no questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsofia A Szojka
- Gould School of Law, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Thomas D Lyon
- Gould School of Law, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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2
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Henderson HM, Lundon GM, Lyon TD. Suppositional Wh-Questions About Perceptions, Conversations, and actions are More Productive than Paired Yes-No Questions when Questioning Maltreated Children. CHILD MALTREATMENT 2023; 28:55-65. [PMID: 35025692 PMCID: PMC10914390 DOI: 10.1177/10775595211067208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Forensic interviewers are taught to pair yes-no questions with open-ended requests for recall in order to reduce the likelihood that they will be misled by false "yes" responses. However, yes-no questions may elicit false "no" responses. Questioning 112 6- to 11-year-old maltreated children about three innocuous events (outside activities, yesterday, last birthday), this study compared the productivity of paired yes-no questions about perceptions, conversations, and actions involving the hands and mouth (e.g., "Did you say anything?") with wh-questions (e.g., "What did you say?"). The wh-questions presupposed that children had content to provide, but did not specify that content. Children were twice as likely to deny content and half as likely to provide novel information when interviewers asked them yes-no questions. Younger children were more inclined than older children to deny content and give unelaborated "yes" responses. The results support further research into the potential for suppositional wh-questions to increase child witnesses' productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas D Lyon
- 5116University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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3
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Peeking and lying in the temptation resistance paradigm in 2.5-year-olds: The role of inhibitory control. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278099. [PMID: 36477030 PMCID: PMC9728837 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The main aim of the present study was to establish whether inhibitory control (IC) abilities influence the peeking and lying behaviours of 2.5-year-olds, as measured by a modified temptation resistance paradigm (mTRP). Using a longitudinal design, 252 children's IC abilities were tested at ages 1.5, 2 and 2.5, as well as their ability to lie at age 2.5. Results showed that 35% of 2.5-year-olds peeked, 27% of peekers lied and 40% of non-peekers falsely confessed they had peeked. Non-peekers had higher IC than peekers at ages 2 and 2.5. Lower IC at age 2 increased the probability of peeking at age 2.5 by 6 times. The highest level of IC was presented in children who followed the adult's restrictions in the mTRP and were then able to tell the truth about their behaviour. These results suggested that the first, or so-called primary, lies of 2.5-year-olds are probably spontaneous, rather than deliberate. Implications for further research were discussed.
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Jensen TS, Berntsen D, Kingo OS, Krøjgaard P. Distinct environmental cues trigger spontaneous recall of past events in 3- and 4-year-old children even after long delays. Child Dev 2022; 93:941-955. [PMID: 35098530 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Verbally reported long-term memory for past events typically improves with age. However, such findings are based exclusively on studies, where children are directly asked to recall. The present study showed that when 3- (n = 113, 59 girls) and 4-year-olds (n = 113, 62 girls), predominantly White, were brought back to a distinct laboratory-setting after either 1-, 4.5-, or 13-weeks, children-regardless of age and delay-spontaneously recalled the distinct event experienced at their first visit (all Cohen's ds > 1.00). Meanwhile, the oldest children outperformed the youngest when being asked directly to retrieve the event ( η p 2 > . 088 ). These findings suggest that spontaneous retrieval facilitated by distinct environmental cues provides a short-cut to young children's event memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toril S Jensen
- Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Dorthe Berntsen
- Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Osman S Kingo
- Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter Krøjgaard
- Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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5
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Bennette E, Metzinger A, Lee M, Ni J, Nishith S, Kim M, Schachner A. Do you see what I see? Children's understanding of perception and physical interaction over video chat. HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/hbe2.276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Bennette
- Department of Psychology University of California, San Diego San Diego California USA
| | - Alison Metzinger
- Department of Psychology University of California, San Diego San Diego California USA
| | - Michelle Lee
- Department of Psychology University of California, San Diego San Diego California USA
| | - Jessica Ni
- Department of Psychology University of California, San Diego San Diego California USA
| | - Shruti Nishith
- Department of Psychology University of California, San Diego San Diego California USA
| | - Minju Kim
- Department of Psychology University of California, San Diego San Diego California USA
| | - Adena Schachner
- Department of Psychology University of California, San Diego San Diego California USA
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6
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Okanda M, Taniguchi K. Children's response biases to results of object sharing. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mako Okanda
- Graduate School of Psychology, Otemon Gakuin University Osaka Japan
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Sonne T, Kingo OS, Berntsen D, Krøjgaard P. Age Affects Strategic But Not Spontaneous Recall in 35- and 46-Month-old Children. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2020.1797748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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8
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Okanda M, Taniguchi K. Preschoolers say “no” to ambiguous yes–no questions. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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9
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Behzadnia A, Mehrani Rad M. Young Children's Activity Involvement and Responses to Yes/No Questions. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2020; 49:401-414. [PMID: 31894454 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-019-09685-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, we investigated younger and older Persian preschoolers' response tendency and accuracy toward yes/no questions about a coloring activity. Overall, 107 three- to four-year-olds and five- to six-year-old children were asked positive and negative yes/no questions about a picture coloring activity. The questions focused on three question contents namely, actions, environment and person. As for children's response tendency, they showed a compliance tendency. That is, they provided yes and no responses to positively and negatively formed questions respectively. Children especially younger ones were more compliant toward positive questions and their tendency decreased by age. In addition, the results revealed children's highest rate of compliance tendency toward environment inquiries. Concerning response accuracy, the effects of age and question content were significant. Specifically, older children provided more accurate responses than their younger counterparts, especially to yes/no questions asked about the actions performed during the activity. The findings suggest that depending on the format and the content of yes/no questions younger and older children's response accuracy and tendency differ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Behzadnia
- Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
- Department of Linguistics, University of Potsdam, House 14, Room 1.38, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Mehdi Mehrani Rad
- English Department, University of Neyshabur, Nezam Molk Blvd., Janbazan St., Neyshabur, Iran
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Persian-Turkish Bilingual Children’s Responses to Forced-Choice Questions. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-018-9814-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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11
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Williams S, McWilliams K, Lyon T. Children's concealment of a minor transgression: The role of age, maltreatment, and executive functioning. J Exp Child Psychol 2019; 191:104664. [PMID: 31785549 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.104664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the role of age, maltreatment status, and executive functioning on 752 4- to 9-year-old maltreated and nonmaltreated children's recall disclosure of a transgression in which the children appeared to have broken toys while playing with a stranger. Interviewers used narrative practice rapport building and then questioned children with free recall and cued recall questions. Younger and maltreated children were more likely to disclose during rapport building, whereas older and nonmaltreated children were more likely to disclose in response to recall questions. Working memory deficits appeared to mediate the relation between children's characteristics and disclosure during rapport but not during recall. The results demonstrate that how children are questioned affects the relations between deception and age, maltreatment, and executive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanna Williams
- Gould School of Law, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Kelly McWilliams
- Department of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, New York, NY 10019, USA
| | - Thomas Lyon
- Gould School of Law, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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Nguyen SP, Girgis H, Knopp J. A ladybug bear can fly and climb trees: Children prefer conjunctions of labels and properties for cross‐classifiable toys. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone P. Nguyen
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington North Carolina
| | - Helana Girgis
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington North Carolina
| | - Jamie Knopp
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington North Carolina
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Quy K, Gibb J, Neil L, Smith M. Development and Preliminary Validation of a Self-Report Coping Response Measure in a Community Sample of Children in Middle Childhood. J Pers Assess 2019; 102:628-640. [PMID: 31100025 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2019.1606003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Coping plays a key role in psychological adjustment. However, whereas coping in adulthood has been extensively studied, coping in childhood remains relatively sparsely researched. This might be in part due to the fact that measures of coping have yet to be developed that are suitable for use with young children. This article describes the development and preliminary validation of the Profile of Coping Dimensions in Children (PCDC), a new, theory-driven measure of coping suitable for use in middle childhood, designed to assess coping as a multidimensional construct across 11 dimensions linked with well-being. Patterns of coping across age and gender were also examined. Participants were 2,566 children between 7 and 11 years old, attending 15 primary (elementary) schools in the southeast of England. The measure was administered along with other questionnaires designed to measure anxiety, somatization, and perceived stress and happiness. The measure was found to be easy to use, and suitable for use in this age group. Coping response styles assessed using the measure were found to vary by age and gender, and were differentially associated with measures of anxiety, somatization, and perceived stress and happiness. Results provide preliminary support for the utility of the measure as a multidimensional assessment of coping in middle childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Quy
- Thomas Coram Research Unit, Department of Social Science, UCL Institute of Education
| | | | - Louise Neil
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London
| | - Marjorie Smith
- Thomas Coram Research Unit, Department of Social Science, UCL Institute of Education
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14
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Geister TL, Bushnell DM, Yang J, Zhang Y, Martin ML, Heilbronn A, Liu Z. Initial psychometric validation of the questionnaire on pain caused by spasticity (QPS). Health Qual Life Outcomes 2017; 15:229. [PMID: 29183328 PMCID: PMC5704623 DOI: 10.1186/s12955-017-0804-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Questionnaire on Pain caused by Spasticity (QPS) is a modular patient- and observer-reported outcome measure of spasticity-related pain (SRP) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Originally developed for an English-speaking population, we conducted a psychometric validation of a recently developed Chinese language version of the QPS. METHODS This was a prospective, observational study involving 137 children/adolescents with CP and upper and/or lower limb spasticity and their parents at three sites in China. Six QPS modules were used, three each for upper and lower limb SRP assessment: a patient self-report module; an interviewer-administered module used by site staff based on the cognitive, communicative, and motor abilities of a patient; and a parent/caregiver module administered for all children as an observer-reported outcome to complement the patient-reported outcome. If no assessment by the patient was possible because of age or cognitive impairments, only the parent/caregiver module was completed. Two visits with a 3-week interval provided data to evaluate and establish administrative ease of use, scoring of the QPS (factor analyses, Rasch analyses), reliability (Cronbach's α, intraclass correlation coefficient), validity (correlations with quality of life [PedsQL™], motor impairment [Gross Motor Function Classification System, Gross Motor Function Measure-66, Manual Ability Classification System], and spasticity [Ashworth Scale, Modified Tardieu Scale]). RESULTS For most children, clinic staff reported no difficulties associated with general QPS use or deciding which module to use. Children (and parents) who reported more demanding activities also reported higher levels of associated SRP (or observed SRP behavior). Activity-related SRP items were combined for a total QPS score. Cronbach's α was low for child self-report, but was acceptable for interviewer-administered and parent reports on SRP. Test-retest reliability was high for all modules. Moderate-strong associations were frequently seen between QPS and quality of life, and were particularly strong in the child self-report group. Relatively weak associations were observed between QPS and motor impairment and spasticity. CONCLUSIONS This first study was successful in providing initial evidence for the psychometric properties. Clinic staff were able to administer the QPS modules easily, and both children and parents were able to complete the designated QPS appropriately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorin L Geister
- Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Eckenheimer Landstraße 100, 60318, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Donald M Bushnell
- Health Research Associates, Inc., 6505 216th Street SW, Suite 105, Mountlake Terrace, Seattle, WA, 98043, USA
| | - Jie Yang
- XiangYaBoAi Rehabilitation Hospital, Wanjiali North Road No. 61, Changsha City, Hunan, China
| | - Yuqiong Zhang
- MCH Hospital of Dongguan, Children Rehabilitation, 23 YnNeDongErLu, Guancheng District, Dongguan, Guangdong, China
| | - Mona L Martin
- Health Research Associates, Inc., 6505 216th Street SW, Suite 105, Mountlake Terrace, Seattle, WA, 98043, USA
| | - Alev Heilbronn
- Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Eckenheimer Landstraße 100, 60318, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Zhenhuan Liu
- Department: Nanhai Affiliated Maternity and Children's Hospital, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 12 Gui Ping Xi Road, Gui Cheng, Foshan, Guangdong, China
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B. Mehrani M, Peterson C. Responses to interview questions: A cross-linguistic study of acquiescence tendency. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi B. Mehrani
- English Department; University of Neyshabur; Iran (the Islamic Republic of)
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16
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Lawson M, London K. Children's memory for conversations after a 1-year delay. JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN MEMORY AND COGNITION 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jarmac.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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17
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Stolzenberg SN, McWilliams K, Lyon TD. Ask versus tell: Potential confusion when child witnesses are questioned about conversations. J Exp Psychol Appl 2017; 23:447-459. [PMID: 28845997 DOI: 10.1037/xap0000136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Children's potential confusion between "ask" and "tell" can lead to misunderstandings when child witnesses are asked to report prior conversations. The verbs distinguish both between interrogating and informing, and between requesting and commanding. Children's understanding was examined using both field (Study 1) and laboratory methods (Studies 2-4). Study 1 examined 100 5- to 12-year-olds' trial testimony in child sexual abuse cases, and found that potentially ambiguous use of ask and tell was common, typically found in yes-no questions that elicited unelaborated answers, and virtually never clarified by attorneys or child witnesses. Studies 2 to 4 examined 345 maltreated 6- to 11-year-olds' understanding of ask and tell. The results suggest that children initially comprehend telling as saying, and thus believed that asking is a form of telling. As such, they often endorsed asking as telling when asked yes-no questions, but distinguished between asking and telling when explicitly asked to choose. Their performance was impaired by movement between different use of the words. Child witnesses' characterization of their conversations can easily be misconstrued by the way in which they are questioned, leading questioners to misinterpret whether they were coached by disclosure recipients or coerced by abuse suspects. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas D Lyon
- Gould School of Law, University of Southern California
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18
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Baseline Performance and Psychometric Properties of the Child Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 3 (Child-SCAT3) in 5- to 13-year-old Athletes. Clin J Sport Med 2017; 27:381-387. [PMID: 27428682 PMCID: PMC5237625 DOI: 10.1097/jsm.0000000000000369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the normative, baseline performance and psychometric properties of the Child Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 3 (Child-SCAT3) in 5- to 13-year-old athletes. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Practice fields. PARTICIPANTS Contact sport athletes (N = 155) 5 to 13 years old. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES Age, gender, verbal intellectual functioning (receptive vocabulary). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Child-SCAT3: self-reported and parent-reported symptoms, cognitive performance (child form of the Standardized Assessment of Concussion; SAC-C), and balance (modified Balance Error Scoring System, mBESS-C; tandem gait). A subset of the sample repeated the Child-SCAT3 at another date. Some subjects also completed the Adult-SCAT3 version of the symptom checklist and mBESS. RESULTS Small-to-medium-sized effects of age were observed on all Child-SCAT3 components. Effects of gender and receptive vocabulary were observed on select components of the SCAT3. Younger age and lower receptive vocabulary were independently associated with greater symptom endorsement, yet parents rated higher symptom burden for older children. Internal consistency reliability and stability of symptom ratings was good to excellent. Stability was more modest for SAC-C and tandem gait scores and very poor for mBESS-C scores, perhaps due to restricted variance. Inter-rater reliability (self-rated vs parent-rated symptoms) was fair. CONCLUSIONS The Child-SCAT3 self-report symptom checklist may be inappropriate to administer to younger school-aged children. Some of the age effects observed warrant use of demographically appropriate norms in Child-SCAT3 interpretation. The findings can provide guidance for clinicians assessing children of varying ages and point to directions for further development of refined approaches for pediatric concussion assessment.
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B. Mehrani M, Peterson C. Interviewing Preschoolers: Response Biases to Yes-No Questions. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Carole Peterson
- Memorial University of Newfoundland; St. John's Newfoundland Canada
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20
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Margett-Jordan T, Falcon RG, Witherington DC. The Development of Preschoolers' Living Kinds Concept: A Longitudinal Study. Child Dev 2016; 88:1350-1367. [PMID: 27991665 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Given limitations in the integrative scope of past research, basic questions about the organization and development of preschoolers' living kinds concept remain open to debate. This study was designed to address past limitations through use of a longitudinal design, extensive stimulus set, and alternate indices of understanding. Thirty-five English-speaking 3-year-olds from middle-class families in Albuquerque, NM participated in four testing sessions over 1 year. Indices of understanding included statements that preschoolers generated about various living and nonliving objects, biological properties they attributed to the objects, and their characterization of objects as "alive" or not. Results reveal a multifaceted picture of developmental change in preschoolers' living kinds concept involving both the construction and elaboration of a core biological understanding.
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Ahern EC, Stolzenberg SN, McWilliams K, Lyon TD. The Effects of Secret Instructions and Yes/no Questions on Maltreated and Non-maltreated Children's Reports of a Minor Transgression. BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW 2016; 34:784-802. [PMID: 28229484 PMCID: PMC6336110 DOI: 10.1002/bsl.2277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the effects of secret instructions (distinguishing between good/bad secrets and encouraging disclosure of bad secrets) and yes/no questions (DID: "Did the toy break?" versus DYR: "Do you remember if the toy broke?") on 262 maltreated and non-maltreated children's (age range 4-9 years) reports of a minor transgression. Over two-thirds of children failed to disclose the transgression in response to free recall (invitations and cued invitations). The secret instruction increased disclosures early in free recall, but was not superior to no instruction when combined with cued invitations. Yes/no questions specifically asking about the transgression elicited disclosures from almost half of the children who had not previously disclosed, and false alarms were rare. DYR questions led to ambiguous responding among a substantial percentage of children, particularly younger children. The findings highlight the difficulties of eliciting transgression disclosures without direct questions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kelly McWilliams
- Correspondence to: Dr. Kelly McWilliams, Gould School of Law, University of Southern California, 699 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0071.
| | - Thomas D. Lyon
- Gould School of Law, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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Vredenburgh C, Kushnir T. Young Children's Help-Seeking as Active Information Gathering. Cogn Sci 2015; 40:697-722. [PMID: 25916349 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2014] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Young children's social learning is a topic of great interest. Here, we examined preschoolers' (M = 52.44 months, SD = 9.7 months) help-seeking as a social information gathering activity that may optimize and support children's opportunities for learning. In a toy assembly task, we assessed each child's competency at assembling toys and the difficulty of each step of the task. We hypothesized that children's help-seeking would be a function of both initial competency and task difficulty. The results confirmed this prediction; all children were more likely to seek assistance on difficult steps and less competent children sought assistance more often. Moreover, the magnitude of the help-seeking requests (from asking for verbal confirmation to asking the adult to take over the task) similarly related to both competency and difficulty. The results provide support for viewing children's help-seeking as an information gathering activity, indicating that preschoolers flexibly adjust the level and amount of assistance to optimize their opportunities for learning.
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Evans AD, Stolzenberg SN, Lee K, Lyon TD. Young children's difficulty with indirect speech acts: implications for questioning child witnesses. BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW 2014; 32:775-88. [PMID: 25393547 DOI: 10.1002/bsl.2142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 10/04/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Prior research suggests that infelicitous choice of questions can significantly underestimate children's actual abilities, independently of suggestiveness. One possibly difficult question type is indirect speech acts such as "Do you know..." questions (DYK, e.g., "Do you know where it happened?"). These questions directly ask if respondents know, while indirectly asking what respondents know. If respondents answer "yes," but fail to elaborate, they are either ignoring or failing to recognize the indirect question (known as pragmatic failure). Two studies examined the effect of indirect speech acts on maltreated and non-maltreated 2- to 7-year-olds' post-event interview responses. Children were read a story and later interviewed using DYK and Wh- questions. Additionally, children completed a series of executive functioning tasks. Both studies revealed that using DYK questions increased the chances of pragmatic failure, particularly for younger children and those with lower inhibitory control skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela D Evans
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, 500 Glenridge Ave., St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada
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Ginet M, Brunel M, Verkampt F, Désert M, Colomb C, Jund R. L’Entretien Cognitif reste-t-il efficace pour aider de très jeunes enfants issus de milieux défavorisés à témoigner d’un événement visuel ? ANNEE PSYCHOLOGIQUE 2014. [DOI: 10.3917/anpsy.142.0289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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