SRCD Biennial Meeting in Seattle, WA, April 19-20, 2013.

The SRCD Biennial meeting provides an opportunity for thousands of child development professionals and researchers worldwide to share the latest findings about the field. Participants present multidisciplinary research in the area of human development based on empirical research, intervention and teaching. Many of the topics addressed this year were relevant to child health and obesity.

Two of my presentations focused on emotional development in ethnically diverse children. My research showed that the development of emotion understanding in young toddlers and the parenting strategies used to scaffold these emotional skills vary across ethnic groups and reflect the unique cultural values and goals of each group. What can we learn this type of information? One important lesson is how the design and implementation of programs designed to impact a child’s emotional, social and overall health must fit his ethnic diversity. One message or strategy will not fit all kids. Similarly, when designing successful health-related programs that address overweight and obese children, we need to consider their unique cultural background.

SRCD Presentation Titles:

Kahana-Kalman R., et al. (2013). Mother’s Regulation Strategies in Response to Children’s Disappointment in Ethnically Diverse Groups.

Shee, E., Kahana-Kalman, R. & Tamis-LeMonda, C. (2013). The Development of Emotion Understanding in Ethnically Diverse Children.