Child Development Perspectives最新文献

Back-and-forth conversations with others are vital for children's development in the early years. While children's conversation partners have traditionally been their parents, teachers, and peers, recent advances in artificial intelligence have led to the introduction of machines that understand human speech and generate natural responses, and thus can engage children in conversations. As these technologies become increasingly ubiquitous in children's lives, questions arise as to how they might affect children's development: How do children interact with, perceive, and learn from conversational technologies? Can these technologies serve as children's social partners? In this article, I detail what we know about these topics and discuss the possible implications of conversational technologies for children's shifting media landscape. I also suggest research agendas that can unpack the complex interplay among children, their social contexts, and conversational technology.

What do cows drink? The correct answer is water, but many are tempted to say milk. The disposition to override an intuitive response (milk) with a more analytic response (water) is known as cognitive reflection. Tests of cognitive reflection predict a wide range of skills and abilities in adults. In this article, we discuss the construction of a developmental version of the cognitive reflection test and explore how it predicts rational thinking and normative thinking dispositions in elementary school-aged children, independent of age, executive function, and cultural context. We also explore how the test predicts children's mastery of counterintuitive concepts in science and mathematics. Findings suggest that cognitive reflection may be a prerequisite for developing, and improving, analytic thought, thus highlighting the value of studying cognitive reflection from a developmental perspective.

Peer influence is an instrument of change, with outcomes that are not preordained: The same processes that make influence a source of harm also make it a valuable interpersonal resource. Yet the benefits of peer influence are insufficiently appreciated. Knowing when and how much to conform to the wishes of others is an important skill that children must acquire to adjust to and thrive in a social world dominated by peers. Peer influence can be an adaptive strategy whose benefits outweigh the costs that sometimes arise in its application. To overlook the adaptive consequences of peer influence is to miss the main point of conformity, which is to foster harmony between individuals and secure their interpersonal, physical, and mental well-being.

Parent self-regulation (PSR) is multifaceted, involving emotional, cognitive, and biological processes that support or constrain parenting behavior. It is highly relevant to disciplinary contexts in which parents' regulatory difficulties can contribute to harsh discipline, which is linked to children's maladjustment. In this article, we address why parents' self-regulation is an essential focus for basic and applied research on parental discipline. We emphasize the need to (1) incorporate and test multiple domains of PSR to understand their respective and interactive contributions and (2) understand how PSR interfaces with parent–child coregulation in delineating mechanistic pathways of the effects of harsh discipline on children's adjustment. These foci will more fully inform the etiology of children's maladjustment related to harsh discipline and knowledge regarding specific, malleable intervention targets aimed at reducing harsh discipline.

Black youth traverse beyond their immediate familial environment to understand different social identities, such as ethnicity, race, gender, and sexual orientation. In this article, we draw on the integrative model for the study of stress in Black American families and intersectionality as guides in comprehending the role of religiosity and spirituality for Black youth navigating mundane extreme environmental stressors. We examine the role of religiosity and spirituality as a culturally strength-based coping asset for Black youth. We also explore marginalized social identities among Black youth, specifically how religiosity and spirituality can be experienced as a stressor for Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and others youth. Finally, we underscore the importance of using a culturally responsive framework and an intersectional lens to understand the role of religiosity and spirituality in the lives of all Black youth.

Theory of mind (ToM) is a key social-cognitive skill that allows individuals to understand and attribute mental states to others; it facilitates relationships and helps individuals navigate the social world. Thus, it is likely influenced by social and cultural contexts. In this article, we review studies that examine the potential ways through which sociocultural context interacts with the development and use of ToM in Western and non-Western societies. First, we summarize findings documenting the link between culture and timing of ToM acquisition. Second, we examine cross-cultural studies on how culture can be related to the sequential development of different dimensions of ToM. Third, we discuss when and how cultural group membership of the targets influences the use of ToM. Finally, we suggest avenues for research so the field can understand more comprehensively the dynamic interactions between sociocultural context and the development and use of ToM.

Although evidence of heritability for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is strong, studies of twin pairs suggest that at least some portion of the etiology is attributable to environmental factors, either directly or through interaction with genes. Given the multitude of environmental and psychosocial exposures that have been reported to increase atypical neurodevelopment in offspring, in this article, we summarize what prenatal air pollutant, chemical, and occupational exposures and psychosocial stressors have been reportedly associated with ASD and co-occurring neurodevelopmental disorders. We highlight the consistencies in reported associations and recommend areas for research to close gaps in our understanding of environmental risk for ASD. Because this issue is of particular importance in historically marginalized communities and low- and middle-income countries, we also discuss the importance of environmental justice issues and exposure disparities in research, and we advocate for prioritizing policies to reduce disparities and improve service provision in vulnerable populations.

Vicarious exposure to discrimination can result in multiple negative outcomes in youth. In this article, we offer a conceptual model that articulates the intersecting contextual factors and potential moderators for U.S. Latine youth's exposure to family-level vicarious racism, and explore how that affects youth and family responses. We define and describe youth's exposure to family-level vicarious racism, considering the ramifications of these experiences through family processes and cultural values. We conclude by arguing that research on discrimination and racism in Latine families needs to account for family-level processes.

In this article, I advocate for an enriched view of children's linguistic input, with the aim of building sustainable and tangible links between theoretical models of language development and families' everyday experiences. Children's language experiences constrain theoretical models in ways that may illuminate universal learning biases. However, more than that, these experiences provide a staggering array of test cases and demonstrate the stage-setting effects of situational, familial, and societal context on language use and uptake. Centering on activity type as an entry point into context, I outline an approach—which I refer to as language in vivo—that draws on both big- and small-data methods to generate grounded, informative, and representative descriptions of children's input. Minimally, this approach complements recent work that uses more bundled input measures. Maximally, an in vivo approach could inspire new questions, insights, and innovations to broaden the coverage and application of theoretical models to individual communities and families.