The success of human culture depends on early emerging mechanisms of social learning, which include the ability to acquire opaque cultural knowledge through faithful imitation, as well as the ability to advance culture through flexible discovery of new means to goal attainment. This study explores whether this mixture of faithful imitation and…

This study explored Ghanaian primary school teachers' values and challenges of integrating cultural games in teaching mathematics. Using an In-depth conversational interview, ten (10) certificated teachers' voices on the values and challenges of integrating games were examined. Thematic data analysis was applied to the qualitative data from the…

This research brief explores how emotions and relationships drive learning and are a fundamental part of how our brains develop. The authors explain how emotionally safe and cognitively stimulating environments contribute to brain development; how brain development that supports learning depends on social experiences; and how sensitive periods in…

The purpose of this study was to explore the concept of play through the eyes of talented and gifted (TAG) fifth- and sixth-grade students. Three focus groups consisting of fifth- and sixth-grade TAG students were conducted in one urban, one suburban, and one rural school district in the Midwest. Students were asked to describe the value of play…

This article contains specific planning, partnering, and performing techniques for fully integrating dancers with special needs into a dance pedagogy program. Each aspect is discussed within the context of the domains of learning. Fundamental partnering strategies are related to each domain as part of the integration process. The authors recommend…

Guided by an ecological framework, we explore how siblings' and parents' roles, relationships, and activities are intertwined in everyday life, providing unique and combined contributions to development. In a departure from past research that emphasized the separate contributions of siblings and parents to individual development, we find that…

Humans are adapted to spontaneously transfer relevant cultural knowledge to conspecifics and to fast-learn the contents of such teaching through a human-specific social learning system called "pedagogy" ( Csibra & Gergely, 2006). Pedagogical knowledge transfer is triggered by specific communicative cues (such as eye-contact, contingent reactivity,…

We argue for the importance of processes of shared intentionality in children's early cognitive development. We look briefly at four important social-cognitive skills and how they are transformed by shared intentionality. In each case, we look first at a kind of individualistic version of the skill--as exemplified most clearly in the behavior of…

Sex differences in the behavior of infants may have the potential for eliciting differential treatment from adults, regardless of whether or not adults consciously intend to encourage sex-differentiated behavior. The role of biologically-based sex differences in partially determining cognitive development is discussed. Availability information is…

Two experiments examined whether 40 infants would reenact what an adult did or intended to do: (1) infants observed an adult unsuccessfully attempt to complete 4 target acts; and (2) children observed a mechanical device tracing the adults' actions. Infants could infer adults' intentions and imitate target acts, suggesting that children can…

Notes that rough-and-tumble play must be considered in the context of social values; has beneficial influences on children's cognitive and social development; and is distinguishable from aggression. Makes a case for the use of socializing techniques in conjunction with rough and tumble play. (LB)

In Western societies, the study of emotional development has been retarded by the view that it is less important than cognitive development, but a review of relevant literature indicates emotional well-being may be as important as cognitive growth in determining life outcomes. Cognitive skills, physical health, and emotional well-being are all…

It was hypothesized that children, like adults, cognize social groups by applying social schemata. Their facility with social schemata was predicted to be a function of their level of cognitive development. When children were asked to complete partial social structures, formal and concrete operational, but not preoperational children, readily…

This study investigated the influence of structured children's television programming on prosocial behavior. Subjects were 53 children ages 4-6, from two day care centers. Nine videotapes were produced (three for each of three experimental conditions) differing in their presentation of socially-valued behavior, socially-devalued behavior,…

This paper presents: (1) a definition of values; (2) a measure of moral values which seems to have adequate conceptual and psychometric properties; and (3) evidence concerning the personological correlates of mature moral judgment. Values are defined as the standards used in moral evaluations and the criteria for choosing rules of conduct. Using a…