1
|
Bard KA, Keller H, Ross KM, Hewlett B, Butler L, Boysen ST, Matsuzawa T. Joint Attention in Human and Chimpanzee Infants in Varied Socio-Ecological Contexts. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev 2022; 86:7-217. [PMID: 35355281 DOI: 10.1111/mono.12435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Joint attention (JA) is an early manifestation of social cognition, commonly described as interactions in which an infant looks or gestures to an adult female to share attention about an object, within a positive emotional atmosphere. We label this description the JA phenotype. We argue that characterizing JA in this way reflects unexamined assumptions which are, in part, due to past developmental researchers' primary focus on western, middle-class infants and families. We describe a range of cultural variations in caregiving practices, socialization goals, and parenting ethnotheories as an essential initial step in viewing joint attention within inclusive and contextualized perspectives. We begin the process of conducting a decolonized study of JA by considering the core construct of joint attention (i.e., triadic connectedness) and adopting culturally inclusive definitions (labeled joint engagement [JE]). Our JE definitions allow for attention and engagement to be expressed in visual and tactile modalities (e.g., for infants experiencing distal or proximal caregiving), with various social partners (e.g., peers, older siblings, mothers), with a range of shared topics (e.g., representing diverse socialization goals, and socio-ecologies with and without toys), and with a range of emotional tone (e.g., for infants living in cultures valuing calmness and low arousal, and those valuing exuberance). Our definition of JE includes initiations from either partner (to include priorities for adult-led or child-led interactions). Our next foundational step is making an ecological commitment to naturalistic observations (Dahl, 2017, Child Dev Perspect, 11(2), 79-84): We measure JE while infants interact within their own physical and social ecologies. This commitment allows us to describe JE as it occurs in everyday contexts, without constraints imposed by researchers. Next, we sample multiple groups of infants drawn from diverse socio-ecological settings. Moreover, we include diverse samples of chimpanzee infants to compare with diverse samples of human infants, to investigate the extent to which JE is unique to humans, and to document diversity both within and between species. We sampled human infants living in three diverse settings. U.K. infants (n = 8) were from western, middle-class families living near universities in the south of England. Nso infants (n = 12) were from communities of subsistence farmers in Cameroon, Africa. Aka infants (n = 10) were from foraging communities in the tropical rain forests of Central African Republic, Africa. We coded behavioral details of JE from videotaped observations (taken between 2004 and 2010). JE occurred in the majority of coded intervals (Mdn = 68%), supporting a conclusion that JE is normative for human infants. The JA phenotype, in contrast, was infrequent, and significantly more common in the U.K. (Mdn = 10%) than the other groups (Mdn < 3%). We found significant within-species diversity in JE phenotypes (i.e., configurations of predominant forms of JE characteristics). We conclude that triadic connectedness is very common in human infants, but there is significant contextualization of behavioral forms of JE. We also studied chimpanzee infants living in diverse socio-ecologies. The PRI/Zoo chimpanzee infants (n = 7) were from captive, stable groups of mixed ages and sexes, and included 4 infants from the Chester Zoo, U.K. and 3 from the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan. The Gombe chimpanzee infants (n = 12) were living in a dynamically changing, wild community in the Gombe National Park, Tanzania, Africa. Additionally, we include two Home chimpanzee infants who were reared from birth by a female scientist, in the combined U.S., middle-class contexts of home and university cognition laboratory. JE was coded from videotaped observations (taken between 1993 and 2006). JE occurred during the majority of coded intervals (Mdn = 64%), consistent with the position that JE is normative for chimpanzee infants. The JA phenotype, in contrast, was rare, but more commonly observed in the two Home chimpanzee infants (in 8% and 2% of intervals) than in other chimpanzee groups (Mdns = 0%). We found within-species diversity in the configurations comprising the JE phenotypes. We conclude that triadic connectedness is very common in chimpanzee infants, but behavioral forms of joint engagement are contextualized. We compared JE across species, and found no species-uniqueness in behavioral forms, JE characteristics, or JE phenotypes. Both human and chimpanzee infants develop contextualized social cognition. Within-species diversity is embraced when triadic connectedness is described with culturally inclusive definitions. In contrast, restricting definitions to the JA phenotype privileges a behavioral form most valued in western, middle-class socio-ecologies, irrespective of whether the interactions involve human or chimpanzee infants. Our study presents a model for how to decolonize an important topic in developmental psychology. Decolonization is accomplished by defining the phenomenon inclusively, embracing diversity in sampling, challenging claims of human-uniqueness, and having an ecological commitment to observe infant social cognition as it occurs within everyday socio-ecological contexts. It is essential that evolutionary and developmental theories of social cognition are re-built on more inclusive and decolonized empirical foundations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim A Bard
- Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth
| | - Heidi Keller
- Department of Human Sciences, Osnabrück University
| | | | - Barry Hewlett
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Vancouver
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bonney E, Villalobos M, Elison J, Sung S, Wosu A, SSemugabo C, Pariyo G, Kajungu D, Rutebemberwa E, Hyder AA, Gibson D. Caregivers' estimate of early childhood developmental status in rural Uganda: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e044708. [PMID: 34158295 PMCID: PMC8220531 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To characterise developmental milestones among young children living in rural communities in Uganda. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Iganga-Mayuge Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in rural eastern Uganda. PARTICIPANTS A total of 720 caregivers of children aged 3-4 years old from a health and demographic surveillance site in rural eastern Uganda were recruited into this study. Caregivers reported on their child's developmental skills and behaviours using the 10-item Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) developed by UNICEF. Childhood development was characterised based on the ECDI's four domains: literacy-numeracy, learning/cognition, physical and socioemotional development. As an exploratory analysis, we implemented a hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis to identify homogenous subgroups of children based on the features assessed. The cluster analysis was performed to identify potential subgroups of children who may be at risk of developmental problems. RESULTS Between November 2017 and June 2018, 720 caregivers of children aged 3-4 years completed the ECDI. The proportions of children at risk of delay in each domain were as follows: literacy-numeracy: 75% (n=538); socioemotional development: 22% (n=157); physical: 3% (n=22); and cognitive: 4% (n=32). The cluster analysis revealed a three-cluster solution that included 93% of children assigned to a low-risk group, 4% assigned to a moderate-risk group and 3% assigned to a high-risk group characterised by low scores in almost all domains. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that a high proportion of children in rural eastern Uganda demonstrate poor literacy-numeracy skills. These results underscore the need to improve population-based screening and intervention efforts to improve early childhood developmental outcomes, particularly in literacy and socioemotional domains, in low-income and middle-income countries such as Uganda.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Bonney
- The Elison Lab for Developmental Brain and Behaviour Research, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Makerere University, CHS, Kampala, Uganda
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Michele Villalobos
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Jed Elison
- The Elison Lab for Developmental Brain and Behaviour Research, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sooyeon Sung
- The Elison Lab for Developmental Brain and Behaviour Research, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Adaeze Wosu
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Charles SSemugabo
- Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, Makerere University CHS, Kampala, Uganda
| | - George Pariyo
- International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Dan Kajungu
- Centre for Health and Population Research (MUCHAP), Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Elizeus Rutebemberwa
- Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Adnan A Hyder
- Milken Institute of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Dustin Gibson
- International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Balton S, Uys K, Alant E. Family-based activity settings of children in a low-income African context. Afr J Disabil 2019; 8:364. [PMID: 31049305 PMCID: PMC6489139 DOI: 10.4102/ajod.v8i0.364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There has been an overwhelming call to improve the understanding of how children develop within an African context as Euro-American definitions of competence have been uncritically adopted as the norm for children in Africa. The activities that children engage in within the family setting are seen as important to understand how children develop within context. The use of activity settings is closely aligned with a strengths-based perspective of family-centred practice and contributes to improved sustainability of intervention. Objectives This study that was conducted in Soweto, South Africa, aims to describe activity settings that typically developing young children in low-income African contexts participate in. Method A descriptive design using structured interviews was utilised to obtain information about activity settings that children aged 3–5 years and 11 months engaged in. Structured interviews with 90 caregivers were conducted. Results Findings show that children participate in a variety of activities with varied participation levels. The types of activities are dependent on the context and perceptions of caregivers. Conclusion These findings draw attention to understanding activities that children engage in within the family context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sadna Balton
- Center for Alternate and Augmentative Communication, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Speech Therapy & Audiology, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Soweto, South Africa
| | - Kitty Uys
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Erna Alant
- Center for Alternate and Augmentative Communication, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Special Education, Indiana University, Bloomington, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hollowell J, Dumbaugh M, Belem M, Kousse S, Swigart T, Korsaga C, Lankoande PS, Lawson KH, Hill Z. ' Grandmother, aren't you going to sing for us?' Current childcare practices and caregivers' perceptions of and receptivity to early childhood development activities in rural Burkina Faso. BMJ Glob Health 2019; 4:e001233. [PMID: 30997165 PMCID: PMC6441292 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2018-001233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 02/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Effective stimulation and responsive caregiving during the first 2 years is crucial for children's development. By age 3-4 years, over 40% of children in sub-Saharan Africa fail to meet basic cognitive or socioemotional milestones, but there are limited data on parenting and childcare practices. This study, conducted to inform the design of a mass media intervention, explored practices, perceptions, motivators and obstacles to childhood development-related practices among parents and caregivers of children aged 0-2 years in rural Burkina Faso. METHODS We performed two rounds of six focus groups with 41 informants in two villages, using an adapted version of the Trials of Improved Practices methodology. These first explored beliefs and practices, then introduced participants to the principles and benefits of early childhood development (ECD) and provided illustrative examples of three practices (interactive ways of talking, playing and praising) to try with their children. One week later, further discussions explored participants' experiences and reactions. Data were analysed inductively using thematic content analysis. RESULTS Existing activities with young children were predominantly instructive with limited responsive interaction and stimulation. Participants were receptive to the practices introduced, noted positive changes in their children when they adopted these practices and found engagement with children personally rewarding. CONCLUSION Interactive, stimulating activities with young children did not appear to be widespread in the study area, but caregivers were receptive to information about the importance of early stimulation for children's development. ECD messages should be tailored to the local sociocultural context and consider time limitations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mireille Belem
- Develpment Media International, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Sylvain Kousse
- Develpment Media International, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | | | | | | | | | - Zelee Hill
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Laher S. Editorial: Psychological assessment in Africa: The time is now! AFRICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.4102/ajopa.v1i0.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
No abstract available.
Collapse
|
6
|
Keller H, Bard K, Morelli G, Chaudhary N, Vicedo M, Rosabal-Coto M, Scheidecker G, Murray M, Gottlieb A. The Myth of Universal Sensitive Responsiveness: Comment on Mesman et al. (2017). Child Dev 2018; 89:1921-1928. [DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
7
|
van Schaik SDM, Leseman PPM, de Haan M. Using a Group-Centered Approach to Observe Interactions in Early Childhood Education. Child Dev 2017; 89:897-913. [DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
8
|
|
9
|
Kitsao-Wekulo P, Holding P, Abubakar A, Kvalsvig J, Taylor HG, King CL. Describing normal development in an African setting: The utility of the Kilifi Developmental Inventory among young children at the Kenyan coast. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2015.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
10
|
Tinajero AR, Cohen NJ, Ametorwo S. No data, no problem, no action: parenting programs in low-income countries. Making the social-emotional outcomes more visible. Child Care Health Dev 2016; 42:117-24. [PMID: 26547387 DOI: 10.1111/cch.12301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Revised: 08/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parenting programs are delivered in many low income countries in an effort to address the effects of insufficient cognitive stimulation, major social-emotional risk factors related to inadequate caregiver sensitivity and responsiveness, maternal depression, violence and biological risk factors. However, the outcomes of these programs are often untested because of methodological limitations in the existing evaluation tools available for cross-cultural research, and especially those related to social-emotional development and functioning. METHOD This study takes an approach that involves organizing data from focus groups collected following caregiver participation in a parenting program, Learning Through Play (LTP) delivered in 11 low income countries. The LTP program has as its aim to increase parent knowledge and influence parental practice regarding the essential components of early development of children aged birth to 6 years. The purpose of systematically organizing focus group data was to illustrate a means by which program developers worldwide can discuss outcomes of program participation, particularly in social-emotional domains that have been overlooked in past studies on parenting programs. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION The findings from this study suggest that qualitative outcome data can be organized to make the social-emotional outcomes of participation in parenting programs more visible.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A R Tinajero
- The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre and the Hincks Dellcrest Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - N J Cohen
- The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre and the Hincks Dellcrest Institute, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - S Ametorwo
- The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre and the Hincks Dellcrest Institute, Toronto, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Wuermli AJ, Tubbs CC, Petersen AC, Aber JL. Children and Youth in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Toward An Integrated Developmental and Intervention Science. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
12
|
Serpell R, Marfo K. Some Long-Standing and Emerging Research Lines in Africa. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 2014; 2014:1-22. [DOI: 10.1002/cad.20070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Serpell
- Center for Promotion of Literacy in Sub-Saharan Africa (CAPOLSA), School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zambia
| | - Kofi Marfo
- Institute for Human Development, Aga Khan University
- Africa Child Development Research Capacity Building initiative
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Morelen D, Zeman J, Perry-Parrish C, Anderson E. Children's emotion regulation across and within nations: a comparison of Ghanaian, Kenyan, and American youth. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2011; 30:415-31. [PMID: 22882371 DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-835x.2011.02050.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This research examined national, regional, developmental, and gender differences in children's reported management of anger and sadness. Participants (8-15 years) were 103 Ghanaian children from a village setting, 142 Ghanaian children from a middle-class urban context, 106 Kenyan children from an impoverished urban context, and 170 children from the United States in lower to middle-class urban areas (58.8% Caucasian). Children completed the Children's Anger and Sadness Management Scales (Zeman, Shipman, & Penza-Clyve, 2001) to assess emotion management (i.e., effortful control, over control, under control). Comparisons across nations indicated that Ghanaian youth reported more overt anger expression than youth from Kenya and the United States and less anger inhibition than Kenyan youth. U.S. children reported less overt expression and more constraint over sadness than Kenyan and Ghanaian children, although Kenyans reported being calmer when experiencing sadness than Ghanaian and American youth. Comparing Ghanaian regional contexts, village children reported more anger control than urban children. Regardless of nationality, boys reported more control over sadness than girls who reported more under control of sadness and more over control of anger than boys. Future research is needed to build on these descriptive, preliminary findings examining under-studied cross-national contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana Morelen
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Pence A. Early Childhood Care and Development Research in Africa: Historical, Conceptual, and Structural Challenges. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00165.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
15
|
Marfo K, Pence A, LeVine RA, LeVine S. Strengthening Africa’s Contributions to Child Development Research: Introduction. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00164.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
16
|
|
17
|
Mwaura PAM, Marfo K. Bridging Culture, Research, and Practice in Early Childhood Development: The Madrasa Resource Centers in East Africa. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00168.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|