Emotions form the foundation of infants' early social interactions and yet their role in prosocial behaviors is generally limited to situations of distress and other negative emotions. The present article argues that both positive emotions and the emotion of interest play important roles in prosocial behavior and development. First, we explore the…

Parents discouraged cross-sexed interests in boys more than in girls. Parents of the same sex as their child reported more encouragement of sex typing than did opposite-sexed parents. (Authors)

Interests of preschool children were naturalistically identified through patterns of attention in the classroom and were related to assessing (1) direction of attentional shift, (2) level of recognition, and (3) likelihood of recall. Findings are interpreted in terms of cognitive/affective conceptualization of interest as central figure of…

Interest in babies was assessed for 32 children aged 8 to 9 years and 32 children aged 14 to 15 years. Data were collected by means of a 6-second time sampling of waiting room behaviors in the presence of a live baby and by reactions to pictures of babies versus other objects. (Author/JMB)

Examined gender-typed behavior and interests in 2- to 10-year-old girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and in unaffected girls matched for age. Found that, compared with unaffected girls, girls with CAH were more interested in masculine toys and less interested in feminine toys and were more likely to report having male playmates and…

Examined gender differences in 514 children's competence and value beliefs from first through twelfth grade, and the relation of these trends to initial differences in parents' perceptions of children's ability. Found that gender differences in competence and value beliefs related to sports and mathematics. Gender differences in competence beliefs…

Two experiments tested a self-regulation model of risk-taking among third through eighth graders in which inappropriate risk taking is associated with overconfidence, succumbing to dysregulating influences, and insensitivity to outcomes. Found that ability beliefs, preference for thrill seeking, peer nomination, competitiveness, and interest…

Examined whether African American first- through sixth-graders' perceptions of occupational status and their own vocational interests were affected by racial segregation of the workforce. Found that for familiar jobs, children's judgments related to their knowledge of racial segregation in these jobs. Novel occupations depicted with African…