Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 21, 2026

A Treatment Package without Escape Extinction to Address Food Selectivity
Published on: August 21, 2015
Parenting and independent problem-solving in preschool children with food allergy
Lynnda M Dahlquist1, Thomas G Power2, Amy L Hahn2
1Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Department of Human Development, Washington State University, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine dahlquis@umbc.edu.
Objective:
To examine autonomy-promoting parenting and independent problem-solving in children with food allergy.
Methods:
66 children with food allergy, aged 3-6 years, and 67 age-matched healthy peers and their mothers were videotaped while completing easy and difficult puzzles. Coders recorded time to puzzle completion, children's direct and indirect requests for help, and maternal help-giving behaviors.
Results:
Compared with healthy peers, younger (3- to 4-year-old) children with food allergy made more indirect requests for help during the easy puzzle, and their mothers were more likely to provide unnecessary help (i.e., explain where to place a puzzle piece). Differences were not found for older children.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that highly involved parenting practices that are medically necessary to manage food allergy may spill over into settings where high levels of involvement are not needed, and that young children with food allergy may be at increased risk for difficulties in autonomy development.
Related Concept Videos
Taste Buds and Receptors
Coping Strategies: Problem Focused
For example, consider a student who struggles to understand their...
Adler's Individual Psychology
Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption
Autism Spectrum Disorder
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.

