Research Project: Okul Öncesi Dönemde Sosyal Yetkinlik, Zihin Kuramı ve Yönetici İşlevler
Loading...
Contributors
Funders
ID
TB.00090
Authors
Selçuk, Bilge
Faculty Member
Publications
Longitudinal predictors of vocabulary knowledge in Turkish children: the role of maternal warmth, inductive reasoning, and children's inhibitory control
(Routledge Journals, 2018) Ekerim-Akbulut, Müge; Selçuk, Bilge; Department of Psychology; Yes; College of Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Findings: The present study investigated the social and cognitive precursors of vocabulary knowledge in 239 Turkish preschoolers both concurrently (Time 1 [T1] Mage = 53.29 months, SD = 10.19) and subsequently 1 year later (Time 2 [T2] Mage = 65.40 months, SD = 10.55). We examined the role of parenting behaviors by focusing on emotional and stimulation aspects of parenting (maternal warmth and inductive reasoning) and children's inhibitory control skills in vocabulary comprehension. The results showed that T1 maternal warmth was linked with neither concurrent nor subsequent vocabulary knowledge, whereas T1 maternal inductive reasoning predicted vocabulary knowledge 1 year later. On the other hand, T1 inhibitory control predicted vocabulary knowledge at both time points, even when the child's age and SES were controlled. T1 vocabulary knowledge mediated the links from T1 inhibitory control and SES to T2 vocabulary knowledge. The findings highlighted that parenting, children's regulation skills, and broader contextual variables (SES) are all involved in the development of children's vocabulary knowledge. Practice or Policy: The findings provided a nuanced understanding of the relation between aspects of parenting and vocabulary knowledge by showing that not maternal warmth but inductive reasoning is crucial for enhancing word comprehension of preschoolers.
Self-regulation mediates the link between family context and socioemotional competence in Turkish preschoolers
(Routledge Journals, 2015) Gündüz, Gizem; Selçuk, Bilge; Harma, Mehmet; Department of Psychology; Yes; College of Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Findings: In this study, we examined self-regulatory skills, namely, effortful control and executive function, in Turkish preschoolers (N=217) and their mediating roles in the associations between parenting and children's socioemotional competence. We also investigated the role of family socioeconomic status and maternal psychological well-being in these concurrent associations. Mother reports were used for maternal depressive symptoms, parenting behaviors, and children's effortful control. Individual assessment was utilized for executive function, and socioemotional competence was assessed via multiple methods (mother report, teacher report, and individual assessments). Structural equation modeling results showed that effortful control mediated the paths from power-assertion to children's socioemotional competence. The pathway extending from depressive symptoms to socioemotional competency was mediated by power-assertiveness and effortful control. Socioeconomic status was not associated with socioemotional competence through either parenting or self-regulatory constructs. Practice or Policy: The results revealed that even moderate levels of depressive feelings experienced by mothers presented a risk factor for early effortful control and socioemotional development in young children through increasing harsh child rearing. These findings suggest that, given its potential role in the development of early fundamental abilities, it is important to take precautions against adverse effects of even low levels of maternal depression.
Children's social understanding scale-short form: adaptation to Turkish sample
(Routledge Journals, 2023) Selçuk, Bilge; Ekerim Akbulut, Müge; Etel, Evren; Tahiroğlu, Deniz; Department of Psychology; Yes; College of Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Findings: The Children's Social Understanding Scale (CSUS) assesses young children's theory of mind (ToM). The current study adapted the parent version of the CSUS-short form to Turkish and examined its utility, for the first time, as an assessment tool for teachers. The associations of parent and teacher reports of the CSUS-short form with classical behavioral assessments of ToM were investigated along with such known correlates of ToM as receptive language, executive functions (EF), and social competence. Two hundred and two children (M-age = 53.98 months), their parents and 169 teachers participated in the study at Time 1, and one year later at Time 2, 132 parents and 109 teachers completed the CSUS-short form again. Similar to the original version of the scale, both parent and teacher forms yielded one-factor structure, demonstrated high internal consistencies at both measurement points, and were positively correlated with each other across time. Parent and teacher forms were also concurrently and positively associated with behavioral ToM tasks, receptive language, EF, and social competence. Practice or Policy: These results pointed to the reliability and validity of the parent and teacher versions of the CSUS-short form as a multi-informant measure for Turkish preschoolers and lay the ground for cross-cultural comparison of children's ToM scores with the other cultural adaptions of the CSUS.
Executive function and theory of mind as predictors of socially withdrawn behavior in institutionalized children
(Wiley, 2018) Selçuk, Bilge; Yavuz, H. Melis; Etel, Evren; Harma, Mehmet; Ruffman, Ted; Department of Psychology; Yes; College of Social Sciences and Humanities
False-belief understanding and executive functions are two main sociocognitive abilities reliably linked to child social competence. Although institution-reared children are especially at risk for behavioral problems and cognitive delays, the role that executive function and false-belief understanding might play in the social withdrawal of institutionalized children has not been examined. The current study used two-wave data to investigate the concurrent and longitudinal relations of social withdrawal with executive function and false-belief understanding in institutionalized children; it also allowed investigation of the directionality between executive function and false-belief understanding. Data were collected from 66 Turkish children (T1 M 5 = 57.83 months, SD = 9.20; T2 M = 69.58 months, SD = 8.45) residing in institutions, at two time points, approximately 1 year apart. We measured false-belief understanding and executive function via individual assessments, and social withdrawal via care provider reports at both time points. Results showed that both executive function and false-belief understanding increased between T1 and T2, while social withdrawal did not show a significant change. Path analysis revealed that when T1 age and language were controlled, T1 executive function predicted T2 executive function, and in turn, T2 executive function predicted lessened social withdrawal at T2. In addition, T1 executive function predicted T2 false-belief understanding. T1 false-belief understanding was not related to T2 false-belief understanding, executive function, or social withdrawal. Findings suggested that executive function is an important predictor of social withdrawal in high-risk populations.
