Insecurely attached boys were less liked by peers and teachers; were perceived as more aggressive by classmates; and were rated by teachers as less competent and as having more behavior problems than were secure boys. No such association emerged for girls. Participants were 89 children assessed before and after they entered first grade and their…

Academic, intellectual, and behavioral correlates of sociometric status among elementary-age children with learning disabilities (LD) were investigated. Peer rejection was unrelated to IQ or achievement scores but was related to LD children's social status, acting out, and withdrawn behaviors. Teachers rated rejected LD children as more…

Psychological predictors of self-concept, behavior problems, and social competence of 55 siblings of developmentally disabled children were compared with those in 55 siblings of nondisabled children. Distinct psychological predictors for children with developmentally disabled siblings included parental stress and resources, perceived family social…

This study evaluated whether behaviors often taught as part of social skills training for individuals with mental retardation were judged favorably by 61 community judges. Results indicated that the skills of following instructions, accepting criticism, and negotiating were relevant to judgment of social performance and likely to be reinforced by…

Examines the assumption that a high level of autonomy within a context of attachment provides the best constellation for psychosocial adjustments with adolescents (N=400). Results show that attitudinal, emotional, and functional autonomy were connected with attachment to father, mother, and peers to predict indices of psychosocial adjustment:…

A review of research on the adaptive behavior of persons with both mental retardation and autism/pervasive developmental disorder finds the performances of these dually disabled individuals to be particularly poor in the domain of social skills/socialization and somewhat less poor in the communication domain. In addition, autistic mentally…

Adolescents (N=18) referred for peer interaction difficulties participated in a program designed to improve social competence in peer interactions. Comparison with 18 socially competent adolescents found substantial differences between groups at pretest and significant improvements on different measures across different adolescents, although…

A 3-year follow-along study of 422 students with disabilities in their last year of high school and 1 year later found that students with serious emotional disturbances and demonstrated low personal/social achievement skills were more likely to be victimized than those with other disabilities. Prior victimization, gender, and arrest record also…

Presents the design, national standardization, and validation of the Preschool Learning Behaviors Scale. A normative sample (N = 100) of preschoolers yielded distinct and reliable dimensions of Competence Motivation, Attention/Persistence, and Attitude Toward Learning. Correlations demonstrated validity convergence with indices of social skills,…

Examined relations of individual differences in regulation and negative emotionality to Indonesian third-graders' social skills/low externalizing problem behavior, sociometric status, and shyness. Found that children's low socially appropriate behavior/high problem behavior and rejected peer status were related to low dispositional regulation and…

Describes an Interpersonal Skills course given at Randallwood Middle School, in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, to teach conflict resolution. Describes the values approach of the course and its affect on students, highlighting teaching of the value, skills, and ethos of nonviolence. (JPB)

Data were gathered from videotaped recordings of two preschool children engaged in unstructured free play over 12 days each. Observers coded behavior from the videotapes and completed a behavior rating scale for each child after every two observation sessions. Teachers also completed two behavior rating scales per child. Results indicated that at…

This study investigated the relations between social self-perceptions, time use, and later involvement in prosocial or problem behaviors during early, middle, and later adolescence. The authors used an idiographic approach to identify four different patterns of social self-perceptions (confident, anxious, unconcerned, desperate) and then examined…

This resource guide designed for families and educators provides information on how attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is identified and treated. The resource includes sections on legal requirements, treatment options, educational and medical evaluations, how ADHD affects school performance, and evidence-based hints on how to improve…

In the present pilot study we examined how a school-wide intervention model, "Positive behavior, interactions and learning environment in school" (Norwegian acronym: PALS) contributed to risk reduction in immigrant students through the promotion of social competence. The aims of the PALS project were to promote social competence through…