In order to test later cognitive status from infant behavioral performance, 76 preterm infants were assessed with respect to differences in sustained attention when they were eight months old. The measure of sustained attention proved to contribute significantly to the prediction of later status on the Bayley Mental Scale and on the Gessell…

Results indicated that masculine and androgynous individuals had higher levels of self-esteem than feminine and undifferentiated individuals. Analysis also revealed that the effect of sex-role orientation on self-esteem was greater for females than for males. Implications for theories of androgyny and sex-role development are discussed. (Author/MP)

Indicates that husband-wife differences in evaluations of marital adjustment increased over time when individuals recalled being reared in a cold/rejecting as opposed to warm/supportive manner, particularly when individuals also recalled their own parents as not having an especially harmonious marital relationship. (Author/RH)

Evaluated emotional expressiveness, empathy, and prosocial behavior in 9-, and 13-year-olds. As expected, emotional expressiveness, emotional insight, and role taking were strong predictors of latent empathy. Boys' empathy was a strong predictor of prosocial behavior, whereas girls' empathy was related to prosocial behaviors with friends but not…

Examined concurrent and longitudinal links between observational measures of 8- to 9-year olds' playground behaviors/peer contacts (alone, conversation, group size, and network) and three sociometric measures of peer relationships (social preference, bully, and victim). Found significant concurrent and predictive relationships, with relationships…

A total of 113 children were seen at one and six years of age in order to examine the relationship between the quality of the early attachment relationship and later psychopathology. Results from the Achenbach and Edelbrock Child Behavior Profile (a measure of psychopathology at six years) indicated different outcomes for male and female children.…

Parental agreement was found to be more implicative for the psychological functioning of boys than girls and was positively related to the development of ego control in boys but negatively related to the development of ego control in girls. (Author/MP)

Studied perceptions of self-competence and task values, documenting domain-specific growth trajectories for 761 children from grade 1 through 12. Found that self- perceptions of competence and subjective task values declined as children got older, although extent and rate of decline varied across domains. Found significant gender differences in…

Examined third and sixth graders' depression, anxiety, and perceived academic competence every six months for three years. Found that compared to teachers' ratings, boys overestimated and girls underestimated competence. Gender differences emerged in fourth/fifth grade, increasing through eighth grade. Controlling for depression and anxiety…

Observed 18- to 30-month-olds' use of force against peers. Found no sex differences in average aggression levels or in mothers' aggression ratings. Rate of hitting peers and mothers' ratings were stable over 6 months for girls only. Toddlers especially sensitive to peers' possible intentions hit peers more and were more likely than to use force…

Examined multiple measures of 82 young children's emotionality, regulation, and social functioning over a 2-year period, finding that social functioning was predicted by low negative emotionality and high levels of regulation. Also found that vagal tone was positively related to competent social functioning and emotionality/regulation for boys,…

Interviewed mothers and fathers from 100 first-generation, Indian immigrant families about their socialization values and practices. Also interviewed adolescents about their parents' behavior. Three predictors of parental attitudes and behavior were examined: modernity, acculturation, and time in the United States. Found that the effects of the…

Purpose of the study is to examine relationships between internality and achievement-related variables in a performance situation where students determine the difficulty level at which they desire to work. (Authors)

Examined mother-child interaction predictors of initial levels and changes in child aggressive and disruptive behavior at school from kindergarten to third grade in 585 mother-child dyads. Found that for boys, high coercion and nonaffection were particularly associated with the high-increasing-aggression trajectory, but for girls, high levels of…

Examined mother-child interaction in play and teaching tasks. Mother-child interaction aggregates represented task orientation, positive emotion, and allowance of autonomy. Maternal interaction aggregates predicted teachers' ratings of children's positive social behavior, assertiveness, and sadness in the preschool setting. (BC)