Current Research
Kindergarteners’ Fine Motor Skill Development
Claire Moynihan – Understanding the role of classroom materials and adult scaffolding in fine motor development.
Past Research
Every spring, research assistants at the PPFCFL apply to present their individual inquiry projects at the Undergraduate Research Forum. In 2023, Janna Cao won the CNS Award for Excellence in Human Development and Psychology for her poster, “Impact of Adult-Oriented vs Child-Oriented Approaches to Toilet Training on Toileting Accidents in Young Children.”
2022-2023
Co-Sleeping and Anxiety by Gender in Young Children
Joy Ting and Ashley Nguyen – Understanding associations between children’s anxiety symptoms and co-sleeping, by gender.
Loose Parts Study I
Dakota Deckard and Christy Nguyen – Understanding how age and peer interaction affects the duration of play with outdoor loose parts.
Loose Parts Study II
Kylie Cohen – Understanding how adding new parts to a loose parts area influences the nature of children’s play.
Loose Parts Study III
Erin Soward – Understanding the relationships between young children’s interactions with adults and peers and their building/pretending with loose parts in a natural outdoor learning environment.
Loose Parts Study IV
Copeland Wyatt Peters – Understanding how peer interactions and adult scaffolding impact pretend play in loose parts.
Impact of Adult-Oriented vs Child-Oriented Approaches to Toilet Training on Toileting Accidents in Young Children
Janna Cao – Understanding associations between toilet training methods (adult-oriented or child-oriented) and adverse toileting events (bedwetting and daytime accidents) for boys and girls.
Pretend Play Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Minnah Shafi, Erin Soward, and Dr. Amy Bryan – Understanding discrete aspects of children’s pretend play (play theme, use of props, abstractness, richness, and social complexity) across three observation periods: one before and two during the COVID-19 pandemic.