To examine whether need for approval (NFA) and antisocial behavior (ASB) moderate the effects of socioemotional stimuli on cognitive control, 88 girls (M[subscript age] = 16.31 years; SD = 0.84; 65.9% White) completed a socioemotional Go/No-go and questionnaires. At high approach NFA, girls responded more slowly during appetitive than control (b =…

This short-term longitudinal study examined (a) adolescents' contact with mentors who share their background in relation to the importance they place on having such mentors, and (b) the associations of these perceptions with self-efficacy, identity, and commitment to a science career. Participants were 265 ethnically diverse adolescents (M age =…

Examines reactions to menarche and the subsequent effects of this experience as a function of preparation for and timing of menarche. A questionnaire including measures of responses about first menstruation, current symptoms, and self-image was completed by 639 girls in fifth through twelfth grades. (Author/MP)

Examined (1) the possibility that children organize general statements into meaningful and consistent psychological concepts of themselves; (2) individual differences revealed in these concepts; (3) the possibility that these differences show stability over a one-month period. (PCB)

Initial research on maternal reminiscing style established clear and consistent individual differences that vary along a dimension of maternal elaboration and that are related to children's developing autobiographical skills. More recent research has linked maternal elaborative reminiscing to strategic memory development, language and literacy…

Examined development of child and adolescent self-concept in two overlapping age cohorts as a function of the self-concept domain, social/developmental/educational transitions, and gender. Structural equation modeling addressed questions about stability of individual differences over time. Multilevel modeling addressed questions about mean-level…

Examined psychometric properties of self-perception scales of the Berkeley Puppet Interview (BPI) with children at preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. Found that young children have a multidimensional self-concept that can be reliably measured. The BPI was sensitive to normative change and individual differences. Support for validity was…

Examines the coherence of attachment organization during late adolescence in a sample of 53 college freshmen. Three kinds of working models were assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview: Dismissing of Attachment, Secure, and Preoccupied with Attachment. Findings are interpreted in terms of different styles of affect regulation and…

Suggests future directions for study of sensitivity and its impact on early psychosocial development: (1) renewed attention to growth of attachment in context of other developing features of the parent-child relationship; (2) factors that moderate impact of sensitivity on developing security; (3) origins of individual differences in sensitivity;…

Two experiments examined 12- and 17-year-olds' active selection of quality of feedback they wished from peers. Findings indicated that participants with positive self-perceptions sought feedback that was more positive than participants with negative self-perceptions and sought more positive feedback than expected by chance. Participants with…

The relationship between classroom experiences and individual differences in expectations for future success in mathematics courses, self-concept of math abilities, and perceptions of the difficulty of math were investigated in an observational study of 17 math classrooms for grades five through nine. (Author/RH)