FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - A series of new studies by University of Arkansas psychologists is helping parents and scholars better understand the intellectual development of children - from the origin of religious beliefs in young minds to the ability to distinguish between "pretend" and "real."

Parents of children aged 2 to 8 are invited to enroll their kids in activities specially designed by experts in cognitive development to observe how children learn to interact with people and interpret events. The activities can take as little as 15 minutes or extend over two hours, and parents are encouraged either to participate alongside their children or to observe the actions and interactions of their children with others.

"The activities are designed to be fun for the kids. They get stickers and toys for participating, and they all seem to have a good time," said Jesse Bering, assistant professor of psychology. "It’s also a good opportunity for parents to learn about their children’s intellectual lives - the way their kids see the world and how events influence their emotions and beliefs."

Bering is one of three psychologists at the U of A, studying childhood development from an intellectual perspective. His current work invites children aged 3 to 7 to play a guessing game. While the participating child hides his or her eyes, a ball is hidden in one of two containers. The child is then asked to guess which container holds the ball and to place a hand on that container.

The game is played several times in succession, but during certain turns, a random event is triggered in the room while the child makes his or her guess. For example, a light may spontaneously blink on and off or a picture may fall from the wall. Children are observed to determine whether they interpret the random event as meaningful - whether they change their guess after noticing the random event.

Preliminary studies conducted by Bering and his research assistants indicate that children of different ages interpret the random event differently. The youngest participants usually ignore the event altogether, Bering said. Children around the age of five notice the event but rarely change their guesses.

By the time children reach the age of seven, however, they not only take notice but they also perceive meaning within the random event. That perception causes them to alter their behavior, in this case by changing their guesses. In other words, this appears to be the age at which children first begin to see events as "signs," filled with communicative meaning.

"It’s really the first study to look at how age differences - and therefore different stages of cognitive development - affect children’s ability to attribute meaning and intent to events," Bering said. "From a very early age, children understand that the behavior of other people is governed by reason and intent. But making that assumption about events appears to develop as much as three years later."

Understanding this cognitive link may help us understand when and how religious faith and belief in the supernatural become indoctrinated into people’s lives, Bering said.

While Bering studies behavior and belief, assistant professor of psychology Kathy Murray is investigating the link between emotion and control. Her studies invite parents and children aged 3 to 8 to spend an afternoon playing and interacting. Over the course of two to two-and-a-half hours, children and parents play games for prizes and do crafts together.

The activities in Murray’s study are designed to reveal how and when children begin to self-regulate their behavior, thoughts and emotions, with particular emphasis on emotional control. In one activity, a research assistant introduces a child to the old snake-in-the-can joke. After the child has experienced his or her own surprise upon opening the can, the researcher asks if the child would like to surprise Mommy or Daddy. If the child assents, the researcher leaves the room for a period of time, ostensibly to find the parent.

"Our video tapes show, as soon as they leave that room, children begin practicing their emotions. You’ll see them feigning innocence and pretending to open the can, then you’ll see them clearly act out surprise and joy at having tricked their parents," Murray said. "They know which emotions are appropriate for the situation and start preparing those emotions."

Such observations may help parents and scholars pinpoint the age at which children begin to recognize that their emotions and actions impact other people and how they go about regulating their emotions in socially appropriate ways.

Finally, parents with even younger children can participate in a series of studies designed by Doug Behrend, chair of the psychology department. Behrend’s research aims to determine the approximate age at which children begin to comprehend the differences between intentional, pretend and accidental actions.

Early in their development, children recognize that the behavior of other people results from intent - that people have states of mind that guide and explain their actions. But Behrend asserts that the act of pretending also results from intent. When people pretend, they intentionally create a false reality, he explains.

To complete his studies, Behrend is looking for children 2 to 3 years old to participate in a series of watch-and-mimic activities. For example, Behrend may drop a string of beads into a cup and ask the child to do the same. Later, he may pretend to drop the beads into the cup and then observe how the child mimics that "pretend" action. The activities take no more than 20 minutes, and parents remain in the room with their child.

"There’s a debate in the literature about the age at which children can grasp pretense as an intentional act," Behrend said. "Since pretense and imagination are such important parts of development and play, it’s important to know the age at which a child starts to comprehend and use them."

Parents interested in enrolling their children in one or all of these activities and learning more about their child’s intellectual and emotional development can call the UA psychology department at (479)575-4256 for more information. The researchers can also be contacted directly by e-mail: Doug Behrend, dbehrend@uark.edu; Jesse Bering, jbering@uark.edu; and Kathy Murray, ktmurray@uark.edu.