The importance of social-emotional competence, executive functioning, and behavioural recognition of patterns by young children is receiving increased attention from researchers, schools, parents, and teachers due to the beneficial outcomes of children who have skills in each. This paper presents studies of the correlations between these variables…

The current study aimed to investigate the cultural differences in the developmental origins of children's intent-based moral judgment and moral behavior in the context of indirect reciprocity. To this end, we compared how German and Chinese children interpret and react to antisocial and prosocial interactions between puppets. An actor puppet…

The importance of social-emotional competence, executive functioning, and behavioural recognition of patterns by young children is receiving increased attention from researchers, schools, parents, and teachers due to the beneficial outcomes of children who have skills in each. This paper presents studies of the correlations between these variables…

Three- and 4-year-old children were asked to judge which of a set of 3 lines was the longest, both independently and in the face of an inaccurate consensus among adult informants. Children were invariably accurate when making independent judgments but sometimes deferred to the inaccurate consensus. Nevertheless, the deference displayed by both age…

The end-state comfort effect has been observed in recent studies of grip selection in adults. The present study investigated whether young children also exhibit sensitivity to end-state comfort. The task was to pick up an overturned cup from a table, turn the cup right side up, and pour water into it. Two age groups (N = 20 per group) were…

Based upon eight months of observation in the same setting, 19 three- and four-year olds who had been in day care from infancy were compared on nine behavior traits with matched subjects who had no day care experience prior to the study. The early-day-care group was found to be significantly more aggressive, motorically active, and less…

The play behaviors of three groups of preschool children were compared. The physically abused children (N=11) were more antisocial, disruptive, and aggressive yet passive. The 15 sexually abused children were relatively quiet and engaged in more female-type activities, while 10 non-abused control group children exhibited more positive peer…

This paper reports results of the first year of a 2-year comparative study of four curricula used for disadvantaged preschool children: Bereiter-Engelmann, DARCEE, Montessori, and Traditional (the official Head Start program). Details of the study design and procedures are contained in the abbreviated Annual Progress Report for 1968-1969 (PS 003…

Studied social interactions of intellectually normal Head Start children, children with low rates of social interaction, children diagnosed as socially-emotionally handicapped, and socially normal, nonhandicapped children. All groups differed on peer interactions, positive social initiations, and reciprocity rule. (Author/BB)

Compares patterns of friendship in infants, toddlers, and preschool children who attended either a child-care center or a program for emotionally disturbed children. Younger children had fewer and more stable friendships; emotionally disturbed children limited friendships to single partners. Complexity of social interaction increased most within…

Explored the simultaneous sequential transition patterns of preschoolers' social play within classroom settings. Found that the proportion of social-play states did not vary during play episodes even when accounting for type of activity center, gender, and SES. Found a reciprocal relationship between parallel-aware and other social-play states…

Eight German and eight Italian children were observed during their first year in preschool. Cultural differences and similarities in play and behavior and sex differences are reported. Findings suggest that strategies that children use to enter kindergarten or a new group exist universally. (Author/RH)