Understanding Individual Differences

Mental State Understanding: Individual Differences in Typical and Atypical Development

The current book addresses the development of mental state understanding in children with typical and atypical population, and reports new suggestions about the way to evaluate it and to support it through training. The presented frame is multifaceted. In respect to typical populations, the role of maternal reflective functioning, language, communication, and educational contexts has been deepened; and the association with internalizing/externalizing behaviors, performances in spatial tasks and pragmatics has been addressed as well. As to atypical populations, deficits in mental states understanding are reported for children with different developmental disorders or impairments, as the agenesis of the corpus callosum, Down Syndrome, preterm birth, Autism Spectrum Disorder, hearing impairment and personality difficulties such as anxiety. Overall, the papers collected in our book allow a better understanding of the mechanisms influencing mental state understanding and the effects of mental state comprehension on development.

A Short Guide to Understanding Individual Differences

Understanding Individual Differences in Children

School professionals rely heavily on normative frames of reference for the identification and classification of children with academic or behavior problems. Understanding individual differences is necessary for optimal conceptualization and explanation of school-related difficulties, as well as for effective planning and evaluation of individualized school-based interventions. This book describes variability within a bio-ecological model of human development. The role of genetics and biological functioning is mediated by social contexts and the family environment to influence variability in different domains of psychological functioning (viz., cognitive, social-emotional, and behavioral). The book describes how individual differences interact with specific situations, leading to outcomes in educationally relevant behaviors, such as achievement, self-esteem, motivation and peer relations. • Summarizes recent research on individual differences in children • Discusses what influences variability including genes, environment, and the interaction between them • Focuses on how variability affects cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral functioning • Describes the situational outcome of variability to educationally relevant behaviors relating to achievement, motivation, relationships, and self-esteem