TY - JOUR
T1 - Home environment classification system
T2 - A model for assessing the home environments of developing children
AU - Bradley, Robert H.
AU - Caldwell, Bettye M.
AU - Rock, Stephen L.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was partially funded by a grant from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (GOO 86 30124). Requests for reprints should be sent to Robert H. Bradley, Center for Research on Teaching and Learning, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 S. University Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72204.
PY - 1990/4
Y1 - 1990/4
N2 - A two-tiered system for classifying inputs from the environment is presented. For the first (or outer) tier, each environmental element is categorized along three structural dimensions: 1) the function which the element serves in behalf of development (stimulation, structure, sustenance, surveillance, support); 2) the modality through which the element is received (visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, olfactory); and 3) the source from which the element comes (person, object, event, setting). For the second (or inner) tier, items are rated along three dynamic dimensions: 1) reactivity, 2) complexity, and 3) intensity. The classification system is presented as a heuristic approach to organizing information on environment/development relationships. It allows for a multidimensional description of any type of input to persons in such a way as to incorporate most of the ways of describing environments previously presented in the literature on human development. The advantage of the proposed classification system would seem twofold: 1) It should permit classification of environmental elements at various levels of abstraction within the same system of classification; and 2) it should promote integration of research information from studies with disparate goals and make easier the identification of significant gaps in the research on environment/development relationships. The most obvious practical advantage of the system would seem to be its ability to describe children's environments in great detail, leading to a fuller understanding of how particular environmental elements are likely to influence behavior and development.
AB - A two-tiered system for classifying inputs from the environment is presented. For the first (or outer) tier, each environmental element is categorized along three structural dimensions: 1) the function which the element serves in behalf of development (stimulation, structure, sustenance, surveillance, support); 2) the modality through which the element is received (visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, olfactory); and 3) the source from which the element comes (person, object, event, setting). For the second (or inner) tier, items are rated along three dynamic dimensions: 1) reactivity, 2) complexity, and 3) intensity. The classification system is presented as a heuristic approach to organizing information on environment/development relationships. It allows for a multidimensional description of any type of input to persons in such a way as to incorporate most of the ways of describing environments previously presented in the literature on human development. The advantage of the proposed classification system would seem twofold: 1) It should permit classification of environmental elements at various levels of abstraction within the same system of classification; and 2) it should promote integration of research information from studies with disparate goals and make easier the identification of significant gaps in the research on environment/development relationships. The most obvious practical advantage of the system would seem to be its ability to describe children's environments in great detail, leading to a fuller understanding of how particular environmental elements are likely to influence behavior and development.
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U2 - 10.1207/s15566935eed0104_1
DO - 10.1207/s15566935eed0104_1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84948259632
SN - 1040-9289
VL - 1
SP - 237
EP - 265
JO - Early education and development
JF - Early education and development
IS - 4
ER -