Cooperative and competitive interaction (interpersonal relationship) between pairs of retarded and nonretarded children of ages 6 to 7 and 11 to 12 were assessed in a situation involving a marble pull apparatus in which competitive interaction was nonadaptive in terms of reward attainment. The retarded group was significantly more cooperative than…

Behavioral responses to stress and challenge are based in emotional and physiological arousal reactions. Adolescents with maladaptive or problematic behavior patterns, such as internalizing or externalizing problems, are likely to show atypical emotional and physiological reactions to stress. Relations between problems and reactions to stress were…

The purpose of this study was to: (1) determine whether or not interage grouping of elementary students results in significant gains in achievement in reading, arithmetic, and English, (2) determine the degree of emotional security developing in interage classes, and (3) determine changes in social climate in interage classrooms. Approximately 500…

Independent groups of seven-year-old subjects listened to humor on headphones, either with a nonlistening companion (audience) or with a companion who also listened (coactor). In coaction sessions, children sitting closer engaged in more eye contact, laughter, and smiling. (Author)

This study investigated the merits of various theoretical rationales for predicting viewers' affective responses to the expressed emotions of a protagonist. (Editor)

The results support the premise that behavioral change can be initiated by elementary school counselors or school psychologists if they know what kind of behavior they want to change and have a planned procedure for doing it. (Author)

Personal space in school cafeteria queues was observed for children in kindergarten through sixth grade in public schools. It was found that children segregate themselves both racially and sexually in the queues. In schools that were racially mixed, children stood closer to same-sex children than to other-sex children. (Author)

Three field experiments involving 145 students in kindergarten, grade 2, and grade 4 examined the effects of different recess timing regimens on children's behavior. Results in terms of prerecess inattention and social interaction on the playground are discussed in relation to play deprivation theory and massed versus distributed practice. (SLD)

This research project explored how children's ability to exchange ideas and resolve conflict was influenced by regularly setting aside time to dictate and act out stories. Research methods for this 3-month project included audiotapes, a questionnaire, and the stories from 23 first-grade children. Observations looked specifically at conflict…

Sixth graders (n=192) participated in a study that compared the effects on behavior and achievement of cooperative learning with group members trained to facilitate each other's learning and cooperative learning in which members did not receive such training. Training resulted in positive effects on achievement and behavior. (SLD)

Relations of social-goal pursuit to social acceptance by teachers and peers, prosocial and irresponsible classroom behavior, and perceived support from teachers and peers were examined for 475 sixth and seventh graders. Findings reflected, in part, significant relationships between social-goal pursuit and displays of social behavior. (SLD)

Interpersonal and intrapersonal risk for substance use were investigated for 1,170 Caucasian and Hispanic American sixth and seventh graders, equally divided by gender. Mean use levels did not differ for ethnic groups. Across both gender and ethnicity, susceptibility to peer pressure and peer alcohol use were the best predictors of substance use.…

This paper describes an on-going study in which clinical research techniques are used to examine children's social cognition and its development. The study focuses on the relation between subjects' verbally expressed reasoning about social issues in two situations: during interview sessions and in natural life settings. Subjects for the study are…