Theses and Dissertations from UMD
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Item THE MEDIATING EFFECTS OF THEORY OF MIND ON RELATIONS BETWEEN TEMPERAMENT AND SOCIAL COMPETENCE(2021) Caputo, Maryke Haasbroek; Teglasi, Hedwig; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)To better understand one mechanism by which social cognition affects social outcomes, the current study proposed that young children’s differences in temperament and Theory of Mind (ToM) contribute to teachers’ perceptions of their social competence (SC). Temperament refers to biologically based differences in behavioral regulation and reactivity, whereas ToM describes the process of inferring others’ mental states and making predictions about related behavior. This study examined the effects of ToM on relations between temperament and SC. Moreover, it expanded ToM measurement beyond traditional methods that explicitly provide the information required to correctly ascertain social cognitions (termed truth-based ToM) by introducing a novel approach to defining and measuring ToM that captures the individualistic process of inferring mental states without direct access to all relevant information (termed interpretation-based ToM). Two mediation models were proposed. The first hypothesized that both types of ToM would mediate relations between temperamental effortful control and SC. Results revealed a significant positive indirect effect for truth-based ToM, suggesting that effortful control positively influences truth-based ToM, which in turn positively influences SC. Results did not yield a significant indirect effect for interpretation-based ToM, suggesting that these may be multiply influenced. This was confirmed by the second model which illustrated connections between temperamental negative reactivity, ToM, and SC. It was hypothesized that interpretation-based ToM would mediate relations between negative affectivity and SC, with a moderating effect by effortful control. Results revealed a significant positive moderated indirect effect, suggesting that negative affectivity positively influences interpretation-based ToM, which in turn positively influences SC, specifically when effortful control is high. This study showcased a novel way to define and measure a subtype of ToM that captures the construct more broadly and may be more relevant when interpreting incomplete information than when all situational cues are explicitly provided. Moreover, results of the moderated mediation model illustrated the positive role of negative affectivity when paired with high effortful control in facilitating this more complex form of interpretation-based ToM and eventual SC. Implications of the findings for literature on ToM, temperament, and SC in young children are discussed.Item STORYTELLING, EMOTION UNDERSTANDING, AND KINDERGARTNERS’ SOCIAL COMPETENCE(2016) Lashley, Arianna Lakeisha; Teglasi, Hedwig; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Interpreting others’ emotions is theoretically foundational for children’s social competence, yet little research contrasts Emotion Understanding (EU) types against their theoretical correlates. This study investigated kindergartners’ situationistic EU (attributing emotions based on external events) and mentalistic EU (attributing emotions from others’ mental states) in relation to Theory of Mind (ToM) and social skills, as rated by parents and teachers. The EU measures were expected to have low associations with one another and to relate differently to ToM and select social skills. Mentalistic EU was expected to be an important predictor of teacher-rated social skills. Results supported the hypothesis that mentalistic EU and situationistic EU are distinct constructs. However, both relate to ToM. Furthermore, while ToM and situationistic EU variables were included in the regression model, only vocabulary and mentalistic EU were significant predictors for teacher-rated social skills. Results indicate the importance of mentalistic EU in aspects of kindergartners’ social competence.Item The Distribution of Gender Differences in the Temperament and Social Competence of Preschoolers(2014) Schussler, Laura Elizabeth; Teglasi, Hedwig; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The literature has shown gender differences on many temperament and social competence (SC) measures, though there are gaps in understanding where differences lie and whether it varies by informant. This study investigated how temperament relates to SC and whether gender is a moderator. Rater source and the use of standardized versus raw scores and how they influence gender as a moderator was a main focus. Temperament was measured by the CBQ (Putnam & Rothbart, 2006) and the newly-developed CBQ, Teacher Form (CBQ-T; Teglasi, Schussler, & Gifford, under review). SC was measured by the SCBE (LaFreniere & Dumas, 1992), and all measures were administered to the parents and teachers of preschoolers (N = 113; M age = 57 months). For temperament, findings supported the fact that rater agreement is low and holds true for both genders. On the temperament scales on which parents significantly differed from teachers, parents tended to rate boys more favorably than teachers. The hypothesis that teacher ratings would yield more gender differences than parents was supported. There were also more differences in variability between genders for teacher ratings, revealing that teachers tended to provide more extreme ratings. Scales with distributional differences were ones that have consistently yielded gender differences. For SC, girls had significantly higher means on several scales with raw scores, and raw scores produced more temperament x gender interactions for parent ratings. Activity Level and Anger had opposite effects for gender with higher activity predicting higher SC for girls and lower SC for boys, and higher anger predicting higher SC for boys and lower SC for girls. On Sadness, there were opposite rater effects with Sadness positively associated with SC for parents and negatively associated for teachers. There were fewer gender differences for teachers when considering correlations of temperament and SC. Overall, findings support the importance of obtaining information from parents and teachers about children's temperament and SC. Moreover, these results suggest that raw SC scores are more useful than standard scores for studying relations between SC and temperament, particularly with parent raters. Shortcomings included a limited sample precluding full examination of distributional differences.Item Measurement of self-regulatory constructs across a continuum of performance conditions among kindergarten students(2013) Annotti, Lee Ann; Teglasi, Hedwig; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Measurement issues related to the assessment of Executive Functioning (EF) and social competence were examined with Kindergarten students (N = 62) and their teachers. Measures of constructs, such as EF and social competence, exist along a continuum of performance conditions, ranging from highly maximal, well-defined tasks with clear performance expectations to more typical, ill-defined tasks with ambiguous performance expectations. It is hypothesized that measures with maximal or typical performance conditions cannot be used interchangeably because the results gleaned from the measures generalize to different situations and different behaviors. This study employed observed variable path analyses to examine the model fit between measures of EF and social competence that present performance conditions that range from maximal to typical. The results indicate that performance conditions of measures significantly alter the relations between measures and the results gleaned from the opposing performance conditions predict different behaviors in different contexts. The results also suggest that more maximal measures of EF do not translate to the social world.Item Attention, Emotion Understanding, and Social Competence in Preschool Children: Construct Definitions, Measurement, and Relationships(2013) Genova-Latham, Maria de los Angeles; Teglasi, Hedwig; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Available literature regarding the relations between attention, emotion understanding, and social competence is limited in its utility given discrepancies in construct definitions and measurement. The current study examined the relations between attention, as defined from a temperament perspective, emotion understanding, and social competence in preschool children, emphasizing specificity in the conceptualization and assessment of constructs. Attention was measured via the Structured Temperament Interview (STI) and the Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ), parent-report measures. Emotion understanding was assessed with the Emotion Comprehension Test (ECT), a performance assessment. The ECT differentiated between a child's ability to identify emotions in others based on facial expressions, situational cues, and behavioral cues. Social competence was measured via teacher ratings on the Social Competence Behavior Evaluation questionnaire (SCBE). Exploratory factor analyses of the STI revealed a two factor solution, including factors Low Distraction from Task, High Duration of Attention and Low Distraction from Emotional Investment. The former demonstrated multiple relations with the Effortful Control factor of the CBQ in correlational analyses, whereas the latter demonstrated multiple relations with the Negative Affect factor. Quantitative data, as well as qualitative analyses of themes emerging from parents' narrative STI responses, indicated that the STI encompasses both self-regulatory and reactive dimensions of attention, as well as features of emotionality and interest. Correlational and hierarchical regression analyses indicated that dimensions of attention including distractibility, attention span/persistence, and attentional focusing are related to a child's ability to identify emotions in others based on situational cues. Self-regulatory and reactive dimensions of attention, as assessed via the CBQ, demonstrated relationships with social competence outcomes, though no relations were evident between STI factors and SCBE scales. Ultimately, though dimensions of attention demonstrated relations with facets of both emotion understanding and social competence, in no case were dimensions of both attention and emotion understanding related to the same facet of social competence.Item The Relationship Between Temperament and Emotion Understanding in Preschoolers: An Examination of the Influence of Emotionality, Self-Regulation, and Attention(2010) Genova-Latham, Maria de los Angeles; Teglasi, Hedwig; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study examined the links between temperament and emotion understanding in preschoolers. Temperamental facets of emotionality, attention, and self-regulation were utilized. Emotion understanding is the ability to identify feelings based on facial expressions, behaviors, or situations. Historically, temperamental variables and emotion understanding have been poorly defined, impacting the clarity of research findings. The Structured Temperament Interview (STI) measured facets of temperament and the Emotion Comprehension Test examined emotion understanding. Both measures offer clear definitions of their associated constructs. Additionally, principal components analyses were run on STI dimensions. Correlational analyses were run on the STI and Child Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ), an established measure of temperament, to further determine the STI's utility as a measure of temperament. Results, though mixed, suggest that components of Attention and Emotionality from the STI explain a great deal of the variance in ECT scale scores.Item An Experimental Evaluation of the Effects of a School-Based, Universal Prevention Program on Parent and Teacher Ratings of Student Behavior(2009) Nebbergall, Allison Joan; Gottfredson, Gary; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Meta-analyses of skills-based prevention interventions show moderate effect sizes for increasing social competencies and decreasing behavior problems. While the literature suggests that prevention programs can be effective, rigorous independent research is lacking regarding the efficacy of many specific programs. The present study is based on a randomized-control experiment evaluating Second Step in 12 Maryland public elementary schools to assess the effects of the program on parent and teacher ratings of student behavior. Ratings using the Social Competency Rating Form had previously been considered as a single global measure of student behavior, and had not been found to be affected by the intervention. Nonetheless, a re-consideration of the psychometric properties of the scale and its sensitivity to skills taught by the Second Step curriculum led to the speculation that separation of the global measure to reflect distinct ratings of social competency and problem behavior might reveal effects on the social competency component. Analyses show no effects on parent or teacher ratings of social competency or on teacher ratings of problem behavior. In some analyses, students in treatment schools had nearly twice the odds of being classified in a "problem" group according to ratings made by their parents than did students in control schools. Results were supported by sensitivity analyses using weights and imputation.Item Characteristics of Exuberance: Novelty-Seeking, Sociability or Emotion?(2006-04-25) Toste, Cindy Polak; Fox, Nathan; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Current theories of temperament posit that individual differences in activity, reactivity, emotionality, sociability and self-regulation arise from biologically based systems and that these differences remain relatively stable over the lifespan (Goldsmith et al., 1987). One temperamental profile, Exuberance, has emerged from both conceptual and empirical work. Exuberance has been variously conceptualized in the extant temperament literature and has been associated with both positive and negative socio-emotional outcomes in children. In order to ascertain the impact of Exuberance on later adaptation, the first major goal of the current study was to identify its core features. The second major goal of the study was to examine the relations between Exuberance and later adaptation. Sixty toddlers and their caregivers participated in the study. At 24-months toddlers were invited to interact with a variety of novelty social and non-social stimuli and their caregivers were asked to complete the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (TBAQ; Goldsmith, 1996). When the toddlers were 36-months old, caregivers were asked to complete the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/1.5-5; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000) and the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Battery (ITSEA; Carter & Briggs-Gowan, 2003). Separate confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine the factor structure of Exuberance and Sociability and to examine the relations between Exuberance and behavioral inhibition. Findings supported an orthogonal two-factor of Sociability (i.e. quality of attachment to caregiver and sociability with an unfamiliar adult) and an orthogonal two-factor model of Exuberance (i.e. novelty-seeking and sociability with an unfamiliar adult). The current study also lent support for the distinctiveness of Exuberance (i.e. novelty-seeking and sociability with an unfamiliar adult) from behavioral inhibition. Also, little convergence between the scale items from the TBAQ and behavioral observations of Exuberance was found. Emotion regulation was found to predict both positive and negative adaptation and to mediate the relations between novelty-seeking and later positive and negative adaptation. Also, novelty-seeking predicted later externalizing problems. Taken together, these findings indicate the need for examining the unique facets of Exuberance in order to understand the impact of this temperamental profile on later social and emotional development.Item Correlates of Social Competence at Age Two: The Roles of Temperament and Maternal Style(2005-05-02) Purple, Margro Anne; Rubin, Kenneth H; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The roles of temperament and parenting in the development of social competence at age two years were examined. Toddlers (N=108; 54 girls) and their mothers participated in a laboratory assessment of temperament and observation of mother-toddler interaction during structured and unstructured free play. Additionally, mothers completed the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (Goldsmith, 1988) and the Child Rearing Practices Q-Sort (Block, 1981). Mother-toddler dyads returned to the laboratory for an observed session of play with an unfamiliar, same-age, same-sex peer. Indices of maternal style and temperament based on questionnaire and observational data from the first session were used to predict socially competent behavior with the peer during the second session. The results supported a trend indicating that toddlers who displayed low levels of distress (e.g. anger and whininess) spent a moderate amount of time engaged in socially competent peer play as compared to toddlers who displayed greater distress in said task.