Developmental - Daycare Studies

High Quality Daycare:

- Caregiver/children ratio
- Key worker
- Appropriate staff training
- Low staff turn over
- Good facilities

Campbell 

Procedure 

• Swedish children attended childcare from 18 months to 3 1/2 years.
• 9 went to family based childcare. 30 in nursery. 9 switched from family based to nursery during study.
• Compared to group of children who applied to daycare.
• Observation at 18 months in their own homes playing with peers. Used Caldwells HOME inventory method.
• Visited in daycare and observed for 30 mins. Assessments at 2 1/2 and 3 1/2.
• Social competence assessed at 6 1/2 - care provider described child's social skills.
• Teachers gave perception of child's social behaviour at 8 1/2.
• Participants visited at home at 15. Completed self report of social development.

Findings

• Long days in day care under 3 1/2 = less socially competent.
• More days but shorter days = more socially competent.
• Social competence stable between 3 1/2 and 15.
• Good quality daycare up to 3 1/2 is important for social development.

Evaluation

+ Triangulation - range of measurements - more detailed information.
+ Assessed before daycare - provided clear baseline.
+ Longitudinal - changes in behaviour over time.

- Longitudinal - attrition.
- Sweden - culture bias and low population validity.
- Self-report - social desirability bias.
- Sensitive nature of research - ethical issues cause distress to participants.

Peer Relations
Social Development

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NICHD

Procedure

• 1000 children, US government funded

• 4 1/2 year old children in kindergarten, data recorded on social competence and problem behaviours.

Findings

• Group care = more adverse effects compared to one-to-one care.
• More time spent in nursery = more aggressive and disobedient.

Evaluation

+ Majority were in the normal range.

- Could be other reasons for aggression, e.g. temperament, disposition etc...
- Culture bias - US. Low population validity.

Aggression
Social Development

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EPPE

Procedure

• 3000 children from 141 pre schools including range of participants. 

• Assessed children at 3 years and created intellectual and social profiles using standardised assessments, observations and reports from pre-school worker. 

• Assessed again at primary school entry. 

Findings 

• Pre-school attendance improved cognitive development and aspects of social behaviour and peer relations. 

• Disadvantaged children were more likely to have adverse social profiles at age 3 and school entry. 

• Disadvantaged children did better with wide variety of children. 

Evaluation

+ Large sample - high population validity - lots of different ethnicities.

- Social desirability bias in report methods.

Peer Relations

Social Development 

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Field

Procedure

• Examined amount of time spent in daycare and quality of daycare received.

Findings 

• More time in daycare = more friends & extracurricular activities. 

• High quality = more physical attraction during peer interactions.

Evaluation

+ Focuses on quality and quantity.

- Outdated.
- Correlational.

Peer Relations
Social Development

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DiLalla 

Procedure

• Examined amount of time spent in daycare and its relation to pro-social behaviour.

Findings 

• Negative correlation between amount of time children spend in daycare and amount of pro-social behaviour. 

• More time in daycare = less cooperative and helpful peer relations. 

Evaluation

- Correlational.

- Only focuses on time spent in daycare - limited.

Peer Relations
Aggression
Social Development

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Daycare Influence

- 2 1/2 years are crucial for development. 
- Children's wards in hospitals allow parents to stay with them or have a substitute emotional bond or something from home. 
- Babies given up for adoption are taken as soon as possible so the baby can form attachments with the new family. 
- Adoption must take place within the first 6 months. 
- 'Sure Start' - making nurseries available for every 3 year old - government funded. 
- EPPE project - nurseries must be high quality.