Beginning in sixth grade at an average age of 11.9 years, 416 adolescents and their parents participated in 4 waves of data collection involving family observations and multiple-reporter assessments. Ecological theory and the process-person-context-time (PPCT) model guided the hypotheses and analyses. Lagged, growth curve models revealed that…

This paper suggests that, at present, a science of natural developmental processes does not exist because few studies are concerned with development as it transpires in naturalistic environments and because truly developmental data are not collected or analyzed. (Author/JMB)

Evidence indicated that the awareness of death as universal is a function of age; the understanding of death as irrevocable was not demonstrated systematically through age 10. (Authors)

Describes procedures for identifying stimuli in the natural environment whose presence was associated with altered probabilities for both the initiation and persistence of noxious responses. (Author/SDH)

Suggests that recent social changes and trends make it imperative to include demographics of all kinds in research on child development. Proposes guidelines to help child development researchers procure demographic information from their study population. Provides specific questions that may help researchers devise demographic indicators, and…

Comments on the ideas presented by Entwisle and Astone in this issue. Suggests that to produce sound measurements of children's socioeconomic background requires a substantial investment in coding, data collection, and management. Nevertheless, a standard set of racial-ethnic and socioeconomic variables, no matter how well measured, cannot serve…

Demonstrated that time sampling is inaccurate for estimating durations or frequencies of behaviors. Also concluded that (1) individual or group differences can change depending on whether time sampling or continuous sampling is used; and (2) error rates are high when bout lengths of behaviors are short or when interval length is long. (BC)

A laboratory analogue of naturalistic observation was used to examine the relationship of observer drift to instructional set and experimenter status. Results indicated a highly significant decrease in observer reliability coinciding with the shift from training to data collection. (ST)

A 2-wave longitudinal study of personality in adolescence was conducted with data obtained at ages 12 and 17 years from approximately 60 European American and 60 second-generation Chinese American youth. At Time 1 they completed the Children's Personality Questionnaire and at Time 2 they completed the High School Personality Questionnaire and…

Conducted meta-analysis of preschool and early elementary school self-esteem instruments, using reliability as criterion variable and different aspects of methodology used in testing an instrument as predictor variables. Found that reliability could be predicted by study setting, number of items in the scale, age of children being studied, method…

Examines the reliability and validity of the scores of diverse informants from the Child's Report of Parental Behavior Inventory (CRPBI). Also considers the utility of aggregating scores of parental behavior derived from multiple observers. CRPBI items were adapted to obtain mother's, father's, sibling's, and subject's ratings of parental behavior…

Provides background information and a practical guide for including demographic information in developmental research. Describes historic demographic trends reflecting ways family and economic environments have been and continue to be transformed; presents demographic statistics to provide basis for comparison of research populations; and offers…

Reviews current large-scale, longitudinal studies focusing on children. Describes the data collected, including child outcomes, process-oriented information on child-parent interactions, child care quality, parental mental health, family violence, fathering, employment patterns, and community characteristics. Notes that several studies incorporate…