Kochanska NSF FORM 7 This is an SGER request to augment the ongoing research of Kochanska (DBS-9209559) in her study the development of conscience in children. Toddlers and their mothers are currently being studied using observations, reports, and experimental paradigms. Kochanska's research considers the role of temperament in moral development and brings together parental socialization and children's temperatment as influences in the early formation of conscience. In the SGER request, Fowles will collaborate with Kochanska to examine the physiological correlates of conscience development. Specifically, he will look at electrodermal reactivity, which has been considered an index of individual temperamental qualities. He will also measure heart rate. This collaboration is part of a strong trend in the field to add biological measurement to the study of personality development. Imaginative procedures have been developed to carry out this research. A "space lab" will be used as the setting with T- shirts for the children carrying the logo: "University of Iowa Astronaut Training". A special chair with foot and arm rests will be used; the chair can be slightly tipped back to simulate the astronaut-type sitting position. These procedures have been developed in consultation with Nancy Eisenberg, Jerry Kagan, and Nathan Fox, researchers who have studied physiological processes in small children. The physiological assessments will be tied to other measures planned for the fall of 1993. This timeliness is the reason for the SGER application, with its quick turn-around time. Program Director recommends an award of $49,569, one half of which ($24,785) should come from the CPL cluster reserve, with the remaining funds from the Social Psychology program.
