Every spring, research assistants at the PPFCFL apply to present their individual inquiry projects at the Undergraduate Research Forum.
Awards
In 2025, Claire Moynihan and Aveen Jafari won the CNS Award for Excellence in Human Development and Psychology for their respective posters, Kindergartners’ Fine Motor Skill Development: The Role of Classroom Materials and Adult Scaffolding and The Impact of Community-based Arts Exposure on Health and Well-being of Children with Chronic Illness and Healthy Siblings.
In 2024, Cara Tao and Rachel Chiang won the CNS Award for Excellence in Human Development and Psychology for their poster, The Impact of Screen Time on the Behavioral Health of Toddlers and Preschoolers. Also in 2024, Aveen Jafari won a $1000 Undergraduate Research Fellowship and Honorable Mention in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences category of the Texas Research Showdown.
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.
Current Honors Thesis Projects
Cohen, K., Bryan, A. & Church-Lang J. (2025). Context matters: Children’s social behaviors inside the classroom and outside on the playground. https://utexas.box.com/s/46c5g20m0n05w7k2fyzm5m9c01sv4yzq
Deckard, D., Bryan, A. & Tillman, K. (2025). Available toys and materials: Their influence on discrete aspects of young children’s play. https://utexas.box.com/s/ptdo69fga29m7h13unvjaeysyciei80x
Han, S., Bryan, A. & Byrd-Williams, C. (2025). The impact of ambient heat on preschoolers’ social behaviors during self-directed outdoor play. https://utexas.box.com/s/qewgns3vi91iii0dshoz7iao1neyq9fy
Jafari, A., Bryan, A., Heise, D. & Rodenbusch, S. (2025). The impact of community-based arts exposure on the health and well-being of children with chronic illness and their siblings. https://utexas.box.com/s/io0t14w89w4sl0gl3grtijb7z1bqyzgy
Moynihan, C., Bryan, A. & Lockman, J. (2025). Kindergartners’ fine motor skill development: The role of classroom materials and adult scaffolding. https://utexas.box.com/s/qu2pm25pj1317elsgldsbs3jkr91y1z0
Past Honors Thesis Projects
Agrawal, A. & Bryan, A. & Benner, A. (2021). School attachment and anxiety in early childhood. https://utexas.box.com/s/ba7t4xhijvtwxle6pv7rc3i2hypa4r3s
Mantel, K., Bryan, A. & Tillman, K. (2020). Inside, outside, alone, and with friends: Characteristics of preschoolers’ pretend play in the classroom and on the playground. https://utexas.box.com/s/az6oawrzd86m64o3zl621iajdqsyh7wi
Nguyen, A. & Bryan, A, & Hazen-Swann, N. (2019). Nature calls: Children’s play and social behaviors across the transition from a traditional to a natural playground. https://utexas.box.com/s/wowcp7zqc00haifl52rjre8kyla8zpx3
Sekula, M. K., Bryan, A., Corry, K., Kassymova, A., & Byrd-Williams, C. E. (2024). The effect of Growing Up Wild™ training on early childhood professionals’ beliefs, attitudes, and intentions toward outdoor education. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01817-3
Poster Projects
2024-2025
Enjoyment of Tai Chi and Children’s Prosocial Behavior
Adriana Adame, Grace Allen, and Allison Giral – Examining how a structured Tai Chi program influenced prosocial behavior in children ages 4-6 years.
Challenging Behaviors in Early Childhood and Parental Self-Efficacy
Ainsley Smith and Teresa Nieto – Investigating young children’s challenging behavior
as a predictor of Parental self-efficacy (PSE) and the influence of gender on these associations.
Authoritative Parenting Practices and Children’s Autonomy
Aishu Anbu and Chloe Rouss – Testing specific authoritative parenting behaviors as predictors of young children’s self-care skills in an American sample.
The Impact of Community-based Arts Exposure on the Health and Well-being of Children with Chronic Illness and Healthy Siblings
Aveen Jafari – Exploring the effects of community-based arts exposure on children with chronic illness and their siblings.
Maternal and Paternal Age As Predictors of Pregnancy and Childbirth Experiences
Benjamin Tomasic – Investigating if families would be more likely to use fertility treatments, experience induced labor, deliver via cesarean, and require delivery assistance if mothers or fathers were 35 years or older when their child was born.
Beyond Parental Care: Examining Caregiver Influence on Preschoolers’ Self-Help Behavior
Cara Tao, Chloe Johnson, and Sarah Qi – Examining associations between caregiver type and children’s self-help behaviors.
Kindergarteners’ Fine Motor Skill Development: The Role of Classroom Materials and Adult Scaffolding
Claire Moynihan – Exploring the associations between kindergarteners’ fine motor development, play duration, adult and peer interactions, and affect.
Available Toys and Materials: Their Influence on Young Children’s Play, Play Behaviors, and Affect
Dakota Deckard – Exploring how available play materials are related to specific characteristics of children’s play (e.g., type of play, affect, play theme, creativity, engagement) and to their peer interactions (social complexity.
Effects of Confidence and Curiosity on Duration of Children’s Block Play
Dawn Leach – Exploring curiosity and confidence in the context of block play in an early learning program.
Challenges in Tai Chi for Young Children: The Role of Restlessness, Impulsivity, and Inattention
Grace Cardwell, Samantha Smith, and Kira Granberry – Examined Tai Chi participation in children and the affects of restlessness, impulsivity, and inattention.
The Impact of Tai Chi on Young Children’s Prosocial Behaviors
Katie Cohan and Yung-Chia Tseng – Investigating the use of Tai Chi, led by a trained instructor, to
promote the socio-emotional well-being of young children.
Context Matters: Children’s Social Behaviors Inside the Classroom and Outside on the Playground
Kylie Cohen – Comparing specific social behaviors, prosocial and aggressive, demonstrated by young children at school during free play in the classroom and on the playground.
The Role of Spatial, Cognitive, and Physical Skills in Children’s Multi-Plane Block Building
Maya Patel and Vandhitha Vegasna – Exploring children’s’ block play and elements associated with building orientation.
2023-2024
The Impact of Screen Time on the Behavioral Health of Toddlers and Preschoolers
Cara Tao and Rachel Chiang – Examining associations between the number of minutes toddlers and preschoolers used screens daily and their behavioral health.
Length of Breastfeeding and Weaning Reluctance
Daniela Salazar and Sara Hashim – Examining associations between duration of breastfeeding and weaning reluctance.
Family Meals: Examining Changes in Problematic Mealtime Behaviors in Children
Emily Tran – Evaluating the influence of consistent family meals on problematic behaviors in young children during mealtimes.
Baby-led Weaning and Children’s Dressing Independence
Hannah Janson and Janna Cao – Examining associations between type of weaning and an important marker of autonomy in young children: whether or not they dress and undress themselves.
Impact of Pets on Empathy by Gender in Young Children
Joy Ting and Sarah Qi – Exploring relationships among empathetic characteristics, gender, and pet ownership.
Relationships between Temperature and Children’s Social Behaviors
Sharon Han – Exploring associations between heat and young children’s social behaviors with peers on a school playground.
Consistent Family Meals as a Buffer of Negative Caregiver Emotions
Anna Caroline McCormick and Shea Sturdevant – Exploring associations between implementing family meals routinely and caregivers’ feelings of anxiety and anger during mealtimes.
Accessory Use by Gender as a Predictor of Block Play Duration in Young Children
Ysabella Santellan and Giovanna Navarrete – Examining the influence of children’s use of accessories for the duration of their block play.
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.
Age and Peer Interaction as Predictors of Play Duration with Loose Parts
Dakota Deckard and Christy Nguyen – Understanding how age and peer interaction affects the duration of play with outdoor loose parts.
How Does Adding New Parts to a Loose Parts Area Influence the Nature of Children’s Play?
Kylie Cohen – Examining the nature of young children’s loose parts play (frequency, duration, intensity, and diversity) across three conditions: old parts, new parts, and a combined set.
Loose Parts Play: Associations Between Children’s Interactions with Peers and Adults and Building and Pretending by Gender
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.
Young Children’s Loose Parts Play: Associations Among Discrete Behaviors, Physical Activity, Pretend Play, and Social Interaction
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.
