The relationship between cognitive style (field independence/field dependence), proctor/student interactions, and achievement of undergraduate students in a Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) course was studied. Field dependence/independence was measured using the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT), which measures ability to identify a…

The purpose of this study was to summarize an examination of the social interactions of a sample of 370 preschool children and to demonstrate from the summary that social settings within the preschool environment differentially affect both the quality and quantity of social interaction. The Social Interaction Observation Procedure was used to…

Reports a study of kindergarten children's strategies for acquiring and protecting status in interactions with peers. Focusing on children's negotiations of relative social standing in face-to-face interactions, discusses strategies children used to improve and defend their relative positions in the social structure of their peer group. (NH)

This paper presents: (1) an extension of comparison theory to behavior in the elementary classroom; (2) a description of interaction methodology used to determine the occurrence of comparison behavior; and (3) summaries of three studies which test various theoretical implications about the nature of comparison behavior in the classroom. (CK)

The study examined social behaviors of 19 gifted and 19 nongifted preschool children. A social behavioral inventory was developed from repeated observations of interactions collected during an 8 week pilot study. Four general categories of behavior were observed and analyzed: verbal positive (greeting, conversation, compliment, concern, laughing,…

Reported are the results of a study testing dominance and subordination among the spatially central and peripheral in 14 college classrooms. Differences in the defense of territory, upon invasion, between spatially central and spatially peripheral humans were investigated. (BT)

The classroom behavior of 92 black and white sixth graders was observed in a desegregated urban school. Observations were made once a week during a full semester. The sex and race of each student observed and of his or her interactants were noted. Observers also coded characteristics of observed students' interactive behaviors: the tone (positive,…

This address presents a discussion of the rationale, procedures, reliability, and validity of the "Social and Nonsocial Executive Skills Profile." The skills profile was developed to identify and measure aspects of the preschool child's classroom behavior that are highly related to social and nonsocial competence. Executive competence is defined…

The Naturalistic Evaluation Methodology presented here rests on a transactionist theory of child development, an ecological view of human behavior and the quasi-clinical method of inquiry. It is intended that the procedures will lead not only to the improvement of the quality of preschool education but will generate knowledge about children's…

This study investigated the effects of short term supplemental parent and classroom programs on the self-concept, sociometric status, social involvement, and heterogeneity of friendship and associations of day care children 3.3 to 5 year of age. The treatment conditions compared: (1) a regular day care program (control); (2) a day care program…

Two basic problems are confronted in this research: (1) What is sex role differentiation?, and (2) How does one go about measuring it? Both questions revolve around construct validity and the adequacy of sex role measures. Most investigators have used dependent "objective-verbal" tests to measure sex role differentiation. These either involve…

This study examines the development of cooperative and negative behavior in a setting in which children of varied ages had regular opportunities for social encounters. Subjects were 16 children, half 16-19 months, half 28-32 months. Each child was observed 30 minutes per day for five days. Behaviors were recorded continuously. A narrative written…

This study reports on differences in children's interactional behaviors in traditional and nontraditional classrooms. The Differentiated Child Behavior Observational System which provides for systematic recording of group behavior in ongoing classroom activities, was applied in two days of observation in each of 17 classrooms (grades 1 to 3, ages…