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"Discovery Files" Features from the National Science Foundation
"Tots with 'Tudes"
Fully produced report in MP3 format:
48 kbps |
96 kbps
(90 seconds)
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READER SCRIPT
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I'M NOT BEING DEFIANT, MOM; I'M PRACTICING ASSERTIVENESS... THE "DISCOVERY FILES": NEW ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. IF YOU'RE OVER TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS OLD, THAT "PRACTICING ASSERTIVENESS" EXCUSE PROBABLY WON'T FLY. BUT, IT MAY ACTUALLY BE VALID FOR THE DIAPER-AND-DROOL SET. RESEARCHERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE PARENT/CHILD BATTLE FOR CONTROL DURING AN AGE OFTEN CALLED, "THE TERRIBLE TWOS". SO, THEY AMASSED 119 OF THE ADORABLE CURTAIN-CLIMBERS--ALONG WITH THEIR MOMS--IN ORDER TO SEE JUST HOW COMPLIANT OR DEFIANT EACH CHILD WAS. THE MOMS WERE ASKED TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN COMPLY WITH CERTAIN REQUESTS DEALING WITH TOYS PLACED IN THE ROOM: THE CHILD MIGHT BE ASKED TO AVOID CERTAIN TOYS, OR TO CLEAN UP SOME TOYS. THE RESEARCHERS WERE INTERESTED IN THE CHILDREN'S REACTIONS. SOME OF THEIR FINDINGS INDICATE THAT TRAITS OF THE MOM--SUCH AS SENSITIVITY, DEPRESSION, OR INVOLVEMENT--AFFECTED THE CHILD'S ACTIONS. THE RESEARCHERS NOTE THAT DEFIANCE IN CHILDREN AT THESE EARLY AGES COULD BE A POSITIVE THING: IT MAY REFLECT THEIR EMERGING INDIVIDUALITY, AND CONFIDENCE THAT THEY CAN CONTROL EVENTS IN THEIR WORLD. SO, THE NEXT TIME THAT YOU'RE EXASPERATED BY A TODDLER WITH A 'TUDE, REMEMBER THAT THEY MIGHT JUST BE PRACTICING TO BE A WELL-BALANCED BIG PERSON. THE "DISCOVERY FILES" COVERS PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT'S NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOU! LEARN MORE AT "N-S-F"-DOT-GOV--OR ON THEIR PODCAST.
For additional "Discovery Files" features from the National Science Foundation, click here.
