Tests and rejects the hypothesis that sensory motor curiosity declines from childhood to adolescence, by conducting a follow-up study of a group of pupils (N=32) whose curiosity behavior was filmed in 1970 when the age range was 6-12 years. Behavior is compared to that of a group in 1976. (CS)

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)

Longitudinal data concerning fear responses in 30 boys and 30 girls observed from ages one month to 8 1/2 years suggest that in males--but not in females--a predisposition to a particular level of fearfulness is set by events that occurred before 6 months of age. (Author/MG)

Argues that a thorough understanding of factors that influence aggression in children cannot be achieved without including behavior genetic studies that allow examination of the effects of shared versus non-shared environment, as well as genes, on aggressive behaviors. Details the growing body of evidence on the genetic effects on aggression.…

Low- and moderate-exploratory children (mean age 6.9 years) with learning disabilities engaged in exploratory behavior independently and with an adult who communicated support in one of two nonintrusive ways. Consistent with a developmental motivation perspective, the children showed higher levels of exploration under both kinds of supportive…

We tested the effect of a Rotated Protocol Immersion package on the emergence of observing responses as prerequisites for more complex verbal developmental capabilities. Three elementary aged students between the ages of 6 and 7 participated. They were diagnosed with autism spectrum disabilities. The treatment condition consisted of total…

Analyzes the composing processes of three children, aged two to four, as they composed with a responsible adult in a group setting. (HOD)

Mothers were interviewed periodically over the first six years of their same-sex twins' lives and were asked to contrast them on specific behaviors. Intrapair contrasts were moderately stable across age spans for as long as 18 through 36 months. Genotypic similarity was apparently associated with intrapair similarity in emotionality and…

Describes the use of four-person task assessments which were designed as a means of examining children's social interaction outside the classroom setting. Provides information concerning tasks and information obtained. Concludes that these tasks can be repeated over a period of years in order to evaluate the growth and maturity of subjects. (KO)

Provides a brief history of the empiricism-nativism issue, considering present-day intellectual roots of nativist and empiricist inclinations. A schema is proposed for explaining the ontogenetic origin of an innate attribute or principle relevant to language. An attempt is made to explain the origin of primitives as derived by learning. (Contains…

Discusses the role of a study of atypical patterns of attachment behavior for the understanding of attachment theory, parenting, and child socioemotional development. Notes that research on atypical attachments suggest that the developmental integration of biological, psychological, and behavioral responses is more profoundly dependent on social-…

Discusses the use of new statistical procedures in a study of the enduring effects of prenatal alcohol exposure upon the neurobehavioral development of some 500 children born in 1975-76. Explains how the Partial Least Squares (PLS) methodology can summarize the data powerfully while avoiding familiar inferential pitfalls. (MDM)

Considers areas of consensus from commentaries, including the value of an evolutionary perspective and the utility of exploring variations in physical activity play. Examines areas of debate, including the nonplay-play distinction, functions of rough-and-tumble play, and the opportunities of juveniles for exercise training. Calls for more directed…