The Early Childhood Friendship Project: Testing Key Mechanisms and the Moderating Role of Physiological Reactivity

这是一项针对幼儿早期学校干预的多方法、多队列随机对照试验，旨在 减少多种类型的攻击性和同伴受害，促进社会和情感学习， 它具有明确的理论、教育、临床和政策含义。基于严格的先验理论和 研究包括广泛的初步数据，我们建议评估早期儿童的影响 友谊项目(ECFP)，关于攻击/同伴受害亚型、亲社会行为和 具备良好的社会和学术能力，具备教师实施(带教练)版本的能力。此外， 我们将研究执行功能、情绪调节和敌意归因的变化是否会产生偏见 间接解释了节目的效果。我们将测试生理反应性(皮肤电导和 呼吸性窦性心律不齐)作为干预效果的调节因子。数据将从600人中收集 儿童(30个随机分配的学龄前教室)在社会经济地位和种族/民族方面存在差异。我们将使用多个 方法(学校观察、直接学术评估、儿童访谈、生理反应 使用两个任务，观察者、照顾者和教师报告)来评估该计划的有效性，假设 机制，以及生理学作为干预效果的调节因子的作用。影响的持续时间为 在4个月和12个月的跟踪中进行了测试，从而将展示该计划对 儿童的入学准备和向幼儿园的过渡。目前的提案将耗费大量时间和 评估所有构造的最先进技术，这增强了方法的严谨性。调查 ECFP的教师辅导模式的效果为大规模传播提供了关键的下一步 计划的一部分。此外，关注生理反应的作用是临床儿童的一个重要目标。 转型前后早期逆境的生物嵌入性及其后果研究 到学校，这支持了提案的创新和影响。了解这些机制 该计划的有效性将增强我们对如何促进健康和学校的理解 准备好了。拟议的项目将提供丰富的数据集，并提供次要问题的机会 取决于ECFP的效力以及与以下功能相关的其他探索性分析 攻击性和欺凌性亚型。拟议中的项目处于有利地位，可以推进重大的“高优先级” 尤尼斯·肯尼迪·施莱弗国家儿童健康和人类发展研究所的倡议(儿童 发展和行为科)：推进对社会、环境和生物因素的研究 这会影响适应性行为发展和学校功能。此外，这项工作与NICHD的 “高度优先”的研究领域，如：高危环境中个人的心理社会适应和 在经济和社会上处于不利地位的儿童的入学准备技能。

This is a multi-method, multiple cohort, RCT for an early childhood school-based intervention designed to decrease multiple subtypes of aggression and peer victimization and facilitate social and emotional learning, which has clear theoretical, educational, clinical, and policy implications. Based on rigorous prior theory and research including extensive preliminary data, we propose to assess the impact of the Early Childhood Friendship Project (ECFP) on changes in aggression/peer victimization subtypes, prosocial behavior, and social and academic competence with a teacher-implemented (with coaching) version of the program. Further, we will examine whether changes in executive functioning, emotion regulation, and hostile attribution biases indirectly account for the program effects. We will test if physiological reactivity (skin conductance and respiratory sinus arrhythmia) serves as moderators of intervention effects. Data will be collected from 600 children (30 randomly assigned preschool classrooms) diverse in SES and race/ethnicity. We will use multiple methods (school-based observations, direct academic assessments, child interviews, physiological reactivity using two tasks, observer, caregiver, and teacher reports) to assess the efficacy of the program, hypothesized mechanisms, and role of physiology as a moderator of intervention effects. The duration of the effects will be tested at both 4 month and 12-month follow-up and will thus demonstrate the impact the program has on children’s school readiness and transition to kindergarten. The current proposal will use time intensive and state-of-the-art techniques for assessing all constructs, which enhances the rigor of the approach. Investigating the effects of a teacher-coaching model of the ECFP provides a critical next step in large-scale dissemination of the program. Additionally, focusing on the role of physiological reactivity is a key goal for clinical child research on the biological embedding of early adversity and its consequences prior to and after the transition to school, which supports the innovation and impact of the proposal. Understanding these mechanisms implicated in the efficacy of the program will enhance our understanding of how to foster wellness and school readiness. The proposed project will provide a rich dataset with opportunities for secondary questions not contingent on the efficacy of the ECFP as well as additional exploratory analyses related to functions of aggression and bullying subtypes. The proposed project is well positioned to advance major “high-priority” initiatives of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Child Development and Behavior Branch): Advancing research on the social, environmental, and biological factors that impact adaptive behavior development and school functioning. In addition, this work is related to NICHD’s “high-priority” research areas such as: psychosocial adjustment for individuals in high-risk environments and school readiness skills in economically and socially disadvantaged children.