November 2001 University Reporter

By Melissa Fassel

Why do some preschoolers have difficulty making the transition into kindergarten? What factors affect how kids adjust to school? What factors impede achievement? Can social problems seen in older students be prevented when they’re young?

These are just a few of the many questions that Alice Carter, a faculty member in the Department of Psychology, will consider in her study of children’s social, emotional, and behavioral problems and strengths. Carter received a competing continuation grant for close to $4 million from the National Institute of Mental Health to examine the course of infant-toddler social, emotional, and behavioral problems from infancy to second grade.

The study includes an urban-suburban mix of approximately 1,300 families living in 15 ethnically and socially diverse towns. One third of the sample is below or close to the poverty line; two thirds of the sample is Caucasian, and one third of the sample consists of minority families. Carter says that this mix of families represents a typical Northeastern city and its surrounding areas. She and fellow researchers at Yale obtain their data through the use of parent and teacher surveys, family interviews, and child observations of this cohort.

One of the most important questions this longitudinal study will address is how early difficulties or competence in social and behavioral development contribute to difficulty transitioning to school A second very important question is how poverty in early development impacts children’s language and socio-emotional development. In examining the impact of poverty on child development, Carter will examine the challenges that families living in poverty are more likely to experience, such as decreased social support and educational opportunities, increased depression and employment problems, and parenting stress.

Carter points out that many young children are already exhibiting signs of problems in social competence, including such behaviors as aggression and unusual shyness. Such social impediments can lead to social withdrawal that may last through toddlerhood and childhood, and can continue throughout adulthood. Parents’ higher stress levels and/or lack of education may influence their children’s development. Moreover, the negative impact of poverty and borderline poverty on language, social, and behavioral development can be seen as early as one and two years of age. Carter says that while programs such as Early Head Start exist to assist poverty-stricken families, they are limited to those on or below the poverty line. Currently, there are no programs to assist families who are just above the poverty line, although they undoubtedly need assistance as well.

The study also will examine children who, despite living in environments marked by poverty, seem to be more flexible, developing socially and emotionally on target, as well as children of middle-class families who are lacking in social and emotional competencies in spite of their more comfortable economic status. Carter points out that understanding pathways to resilience will help inform policies that support children’s healthy development.

Through this study, Carter hopes to demonstrate a need for improved early intervention services for infants and toddlers having social/emotional and behavioral problems. She hopes her research will result in targeted preventive interventions that take place before the child experiences difficulties in school, whether they be social or emotional problems, language delays, or academic difficulties. Nowadays, there are few services for such young children because as a rule such problems have been identified once the child attends school, not beforehand. Carter mentions that early identification for targeted interventions might begin with screening at the pediatrician’s office for behavioral, social, and/or language problems. She hopes to see the implementation of new intervention programs within five years.

Psychology Professor Examines Childhood Transitions in Education with NIMH Grant