This study aimed to investigate the relationships between abilities to initiate and respond to joint attention and symptoms of autism that have, and have not, been theoretically linked to joint attention. Participants were 51 boys and five girls with autistic disorder, aged between 2 years and 6 years 5 months. Measures of joint attention…

Discusses the deleterious effects of television on children's behavior, focusing on television as a medium of communication, and not on the quality of its programming. The criticisms include distortion and mediation of reality, interference with creative and social development, unidirectionality, violence, and inducement toward passivity. (ED)

The social development of a female rhesus monkey was followed from birth until death, age 32 months. The monkey had an extra autosome and was hydrocephalic. The monkey showed serious motor deficiencies, delayed social development, poorly established dominance relationships, and heavy dependence on mother and kin. The monkey was, however, well…

A method for direct observation study of early peer-social and object directed behavior in humans was designed to articulate with techniques widely used in studies of social behavior of infra-human primates. Occurrence of behavior fitting the definitions of each of six categories of object behavior and nine categories of social behavior is noted…

Examines the reactions of children in grades 3-4, 7-8, and 11-12 to boys and girls whose behavior was either masculine-stereotyped or feminine-stereotyped along the dimensions of steadiness/excitability, adventurousness/timidity, and rudeness/politeness. (Author/HOD)

Identifies reliable mother action-child reaction patterns and assesses the effect of maternal consequences for those patterns on the probability of their subsequent occurrence. (HOD)

The relationship between self-control and role-taking deficits as exhibited by 37 female institutionalized juvenile delinquents was assessed by Chandler's measure of social egocentrism. Subjects, matched on the basis of their scores on the Matching Familiar Figures (MFF) Test, were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups. The treatment…

A total of 51 mothers and their newborn infants were studied in order to evaluate the relationship between neonatal style and the early mother-infant relationship. The procedure included an infant assessment with the Brazelton Neonatal Assessment Scale, a mother-infant interaction observation during feeding, and an interview concerning maternal…

Explores the relations between temperament, communicative competence, and humor expression among four- and five-year-old nursery school children. Shows that ratings of communicative competence and various dimensions of temperament account for a significant proportion of the variance in the reported frequency of children's laughter and verbal and…

Observes parents' socialization practices in 24 homes of families with first-born infants at 11, 14, and 17 months of age. Four kinds of socializing practices were observed and compared by parents' sex, infants' age, and infants' sex. (HOD)

Using a longitudinal design, investigates the interactive behaviors of mothers of normal infants and mothers of infants who are known to differ on a host of cognitive, behavioral, and biological parameters. Examines the developmental course of emotional expressivity in these infants. (HOD)

Advanced special education students rated 23 of the domains of the Adaptive Behavior Scale (ABS). Results indicated that the most important considerations for determining method of measurement for ABS were: time necessary to obtain behavioral sample and severity of behavior. Suggests the domains of ABS be rearranged and redefined. (RC)

Reviews recent product-oriented outcome studies from the perspective of whether VLBW (very low birthweight) infants born since 1975 (when intensive care methods became relatively stabilized in effectiveness) show behavioral problems, intellectual impairment, linguistic or social deficits. (RWB)

Fixation time, smiling, vocalization, and fret/cry were recorded to obtain a complete picture of infants' responses to facial stimuli over the first year of life. Four stimuli were presented to 120 infants. Results of fixation data indicate that (1) there is a marked decrease in fixation toward facial stimuli within the first year, (2) at all ages…

This paper reports findings from a study of social adjustments in the face-to-face interactions of four highly original preschool children, and suggests a framework for guiding the social development of gifted and talented young children. Descriptions of the four students' behavior patterns demonstrate the social adjustments they employed in…