Habits make everyday life manageable, but can also become obstacles and cause problems. The tendency to repeat old patterns of behavior is a common problem for individuals and for society as a whole. Unreflexive habitual actions constitute an important aspect of social reproduction. In this article, two questions are addressed: Why is change so…

Understanding rhythms of different groups enables group leaders to attune leadership to the specific goals of each group. Rhythms are recognized in variations of action, assessment, and assimilations. Rhythm models of groups for personal growth, therapy, and training, and theoretical concepts and dynamics of each group type are discussed. (Author)

Research reports are reviewed which illustrate the close ties between creativity and entrepreneurship. Comparisons of the characteristics and behavior typical of creative individuals and entrepreneurial individuals indicate the existence of striking similarities. (JDD)

This literature review examines the psychological aspects of the savant syndrome in people with intellectual disabilities, focusing on the means by which such abilities as calendar calculation are accomplished and highlighting variables (such as intense motivation in one area) postulated as important for development of the syndrome. (Author/DB)

Researchers have long focused upon the problems of student/adolescent drug use; however, such a limited perspective may actually provide inaccurate information as to the actual nature and extent of total drug use. It may be more appropriate to emphasize a lifespan developmental perspective regarding drug abuse behaviors, insofar as drug use must…

Reviews literature on effects of early maladjustment on later behavior problems. Discusses development as transactional process in which risk and resilience are central, a cumulative risk model of behavior problems as resulting from a variety of factors, and longitudinal research that focuses on externalizing behaviors. Concludes predictive power…

Reviews research examining the predictive aspects of childhood sex-typed behavior for sexual orientation. Prospective studies suggest that childhood cross-typed behavior is strongly predictive of adult homosexual orientation for men, whereas retrospective studies are useful in determining how many homosexual individuals displayed cross-sex…

Discusses the role of extrinsic reinforcement in intrinsic motivation in cognitive attribution theory. Concludes that cognitive attribution theory lacks parsimony, in that extant reinforcement analysis can account for undermining with equal facility. Suggests undermining is of little significance due to its elusive and transient impact on operant…

Suggests that counselors develop a classsification system of human behavior that is comprehensive, descriptive, developmental, and compatible with a variety of theoretical backgrounds rather than accept the negative classification system of psychiatry. The system recognizes the role of learning and development in maladaptive behavior. (JAC)

Based on research on patterns of infant-caregiver attachment, a theory of individual development is proposed. Principles of the theory include a focus on adaptation, a view of the person as a coherent whole, a central role for affective constructs and emotion, and a focus on individual differences. (GC)

The Ehrhardt Training Seminar (E.S.T.) program is but one example of a self-help technique based on the premise that people will improve their personal lives and professional effectiveness to the extent that they can "break through the act" to discern the real self which is full of capacity and power when released from fear and constraint. Many…

Values are discussed in terms of development, nature, and implications for family therapy. Clinical examples are used to demonstrate concepts and a model is presented which depicts how the various leverages utilized in family therapy related to family values. (Author)

Sociological literature on careers reveals that there are four major approaches framing career study, i.e., developmental, objective-empirical, normative, and interactive perspectives. Analysis of these approaches points to an orienting conceptualization of career based on the core characteristics of centrality, duration, and public…

Noting that beyond the individual variations among humans, there is a body of mental abilities common to every human being, this book examines the debate among researchers about the extent to which humans are "preprogrammed," and suggests a new scientific psychology of human development. By examining experimental data obtained from…

A systematic review and critique of the work of midlife researchers and theorists such as Gould, Vaillant, Jung, Newman and Levinson, among others, indicates that: (1) a midlife transition period exists from approximately 35 to 55 and lasts as many as 10 years for both men and women; (2) a series of unique and fundamental biological, psychosocial,…