350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) This thesis examined how task demands shape the category represe... more 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) This thesis examined how task demands shape the category representations formed through classification, inference and incidental learning. Experiments 1 to 3 examined the claim that the representations formed through inference learning are based only on the encoding of prototypical features (e.g., Yamauchi & Markman, 1998, 2000). Adults learned artificial categories through exemplar classification or feature inference. Inference learning either did or did not require attention to prototypical features. At test, all participants classified exemplars and inferred the values of missing features. Classification learning resulted in the encoding of both prototypical and atypical features. Inference learning also led to the representation of both prototypical and atypical features when attention to both was required during learning. Experiment 4 extended these results to inferences about novel items varying in similarity to training items. Inference learne...
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, Jan 12, 2015
There has been limited research exploring the similarity of perception of friendship quality betw... more There has been limited research exploring the similarity of perception of friendship quality between children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their friends. In this study, 45 children with ASD participated together with their friends. Two levels of friendship quality congruency were investigated: reciprocity and mutuality. A high proportion of the friendships were reciprocated for both the mixed and non-mixed friendship groups. Nevertheless, students with ASD reported substantial differences in perceptions of their friendship quality as compared to their nominated friends. The findings of the present study mirrored those of previous research with typically developing children. Further study is required to systematically investigate the differences in friendship quality perceptions within friendship dyads for both typically developing children and those with ASD diagnosis.
The significance of mind-mindedness, or the tendency of adults to ascribe mental states and proce... more The significance of mind-mindedness, or the tendency of adults to ascribe mental states and processes when describing and interpreting children's behavior, is well established in home contexts. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence and pedagogical implications of the mind-mindedness of 24 early childhood practitioners working with 9-20-month-old infants in infant child-care programs. Two indices of mind-mindedness, mind-minded descriptions and mind-minded talk, were obtained from practitioners' narrated interpretations of infant play and their talk to a nominated infant during a 12-min free-play session. The quality of practitioners' interaction during this free-play session was coded for their levels of sensitivity and stimulation. Results revealed significant relationships between the two indices of mind-mindedness, suggesting a degree of commonality between the operationalizations. After controlling for the significant effect of practitioner qualific...
We report the development of preservice teachers' oral presentation performance based on a techno... more We report the development of preservice teachers' oral presentation performance based on a technology-mediated video reflection system. Participants video-recorded oral presentations and uploaded them to an online blog to view and reflect on their performance and that of their peers. Four presentations by forty-one participants were analysed using a range of criteria based on what we call the Modes of Communication (voice, body-language, words and alignment between them) and the Constructed Impression of the communication acts (confidence, clarity, engagement and appropriateness). Results indicate a significant improvement across all criteria with a decreased rate of improvement for later iterations.
International Journal of Early Years Education, 2010
... 09669760.2010.531615 Marianne Fenech a * , Naomi Sweller b & Linda Harrison c pages 283-2... more ... 09669760.2010.531615 Marianne Fenech a * , Naomi Sweller b & Linda Harrison c pages 283-296. ... Mindful of the controversies of the 'paradigm wars' (Gage 1989 in Guba and Lincoln 199412. Guba , E. and Y. Lincoln . 1994 . Competing paradigms in qualitative research . ...
During social interaction, verbal language as well as nonverbal behavior is exchanged between spe... more During social interaction, verbal language as well as nonverbal behavior is exchanged between speakers and listeners. One social task that often involves nonverbal behavior is the relaying of spatial direction information. The questions addressed in this study were whether presenting gesture during encoding (a) enhanced corresponding spatial task performance and (b) elicited gesture production at recall for adults and children. Children (3-4 years) and adults were presented with verbal route directions through a small-scale spatial array and, depending on the assigned condition (i.e., no gestures, beat gestures, or representational gestures), the accompanying gestures. Children, but not adults, benefited from the presence of gesture during encoding of the spatial route direction task, as measured by recall at test. Results suggest that the presence of gesture during encoding plays an integral part of effectively communicating spatial route direction information, particularly for children.
350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) This thesis examined how task demands shape the category represe... more 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) This thesis examined how task demands shape the category representations formed through classification, inference and incidental learning. Experiments 1 to 3 examined the claim that the representations formed through inference learning are based only on the encoding of prototypical features (e.g., Yamauchi & Markman, 1998, 2000). Adults learned artificial categories through exemplar classification or feature inference. Inference learning either did or did not require attention to prototypical features. At test, all participants classified exemplars and inferred the values of missing features. Classification learning resulted in the encoding of both prototypical and atypical features. Inference learning also led to the representation of both prototypical and atypical features when attention to both was required during learning. Experiment 4 extended these results to inferences about novel items varying in similarity to training items. Inference learne...
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, Jan 12, 2015
There has been limited research exploring the similarity of perception of friendship quality betw... more There has been limited research exploring the similarity of perception of friendship quality between children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their friends. In this study, 45 children with ASD participated together with their friends. Two levels of friendship quality congruency were investigated: reciprocity and mutuality. A high proportion of the friendships were reciprocated for both the mixed and non-mixed friendship groups. Nevertheless, students with ASD reported substantial differences in perceptions of their friendship quality as compared to their nominated friends. The findings of the present study mirrored those of previous research with typically developing children. Further study is required to systematically investigate the differences in friendship quality perceptions within friendship dyads for both typically developing children and those with ASD diagnosis.
The significance of mind-mindedness, or the tendency of adults to ascribe mental states and proce... more The significance of mind-mindedness, or the tendency of adults to ascribe mental states and processes when describing and interpreting children's behavior, is well established in home contexts. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence and pedagogical implications of the mind-mindedness of 24 early childhood practitioners working with 9-20-month-old infants in infant child-care programs. Two indices of mind-mindedness, mind-minded descriptions and mind-minded talk, were obtained from practitioners' narrated interpretations of infant play and their talk to a nominated infant during a 12-min free-play session. The quality of practitioners' interaction during this free-play session was coded for their levels of sensitivity and stimulation. Results revealed significant relationships between the two indices of mind-mindedness, suggesting a degree of commonality between the operationalizations. After controlling for the significant effect of practitioner qualific...
We report the development of preservice teachers' oral presentation performance based on a techno... more We report the development of preservice teachers' oral presentation performance based on a technology-mediated video reflection system. Participants video-recorded oral presentations and uploaded them to an online blog to view and reflect on their performance and that of their peers. Four presentations by forty-one participants were analysed using a range of criteria based on what we call the Modes of Communication (voice, body-language, words and alignment between them) and the Constructed Impression of the communication acts (confidence, clarity, engagement and appropriateness). Results indicate a significant improvement across all criteria with a decreased rate of improvement for later iterations.
International Journal of Early Years Education, 2010
... 09669760.2010.531615 Marianne Fenech a * , Naomi Sweller b & Linda Harrison c pages 283-2... more ... 09669760.2010.531615 Marianne Fenech a * , Naomi Sweller b & Linda Harrison c pages 283-296. ... Mindful of the controversies of the 'paradigm wars' (Gage 1989 in Guba and Lincoln 199412. Guba , E. and Y. Lincoln . 1994 . Competing paradigms in qualitative research . ...
During social interaction, verbal language as well as nonverbal behavior is exchanged between spe... more During social interaction, verbal language as well as nonverbal behavior is exchanged between speakers and listeners. One social task that often involves nonverbal behavior is the relaying of spatial direction information. The questions addressed in this study were whether presenting gesture during encoding (a) enhanced corresponding spatial task performance and (b) elicited gesture production at recall for adults and children. Children (3-4 years) and adults were presented with verbal route directions through a small-scale spatial array and, depending on the assigned condition (i.e., no gestures, beat gestures, or representational gestures), the accompanying gestures. Children, but not adults, benefited from the presence of gesture during encoding of the spatial route direction task, as measured by recall at test. Results suggest that the presence of gesture during encoding plays an integral part of effectively communicating spatial route direction information, particularly for children.
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