Sixty mothers of four- through 12-year-old children rated the (1) environmental versus dispositional basis of their child's behavior; (2) behavior's probable origins, cross-situational consistancy, and temporal stability; (3) child's controllability; and (4) personal responsibility for engaging in each behavior. Findings suggested a positive bias…

Examines imitative interchanges of 18 mothers and their 10-to 14-month-old infants during two natural situations, bath time and free play. Infants' and mothers' replications of vocal, verbal, and motoric acts were observed. (NH)

Investigates 57 three- to five-year-old children's sharing of preferred and nonpreferred food with same-sex peers as a function of (1) whether or not the children had previous experience as recipients and (2) whether or not the child was shared with during the experience as a recipient. (HOD)

Explores links between aggression in elementary school children and their perceptions of self-efficacy as well as their response-outcome expectancies. (HOD)

Reports on a multimeasure, multicontext study of the relationship between father-child and mother-child play and children's competence with preschool peers. Involves 13 boys and 14 girls three to four years of age, and their parents. Children were videotaped while playing with each parent, and their social competence with peers was evaluated.…

Argues that behavioral differentiation of the sexes is minimal when children are observed or tested individually. Sex differences emerge primarily in social situations resulting in social styles that place females at a disadvantage in interactions with males. The role of the nuclear family in the development of these styles is discussed. (FMW)

Examines the relationship between domestic, occupational, fantastic, and peripheral role enactment and object ideation, social organization (solitary versus interactive behavior), and metacommunication. Each of 12 same-age, same-sex triads of three and one-half- and five-year-old children was observed during two 30-minute sessions under conditions…

Social participation behavior of 33 2- and 3-year-old children was observed during free-play in order to identify differences between age groups as well as differences between contemporary outcomes and Parten's 1932 findings. Trained observers recorded the frequencies of play behaviors, utilizing a time sampling procedure and Parten's categories…

This paper examines relevant research in comparative sociology, social anthropology with primitive societies, the behavior of primates, the hormonal control of social behavior, and contemporary social psychology. The reciprocal influence of social and biological factors on human societies is discussed. Moreover, the effect of attitudes on social…

Examines the social behavior of 34 preschool children, observed both at home and in preschool, to determine patterning interactions among siblings and consistency in children's interactions with siblings and peers. Concludes that children's behavior at home is most affected by relative age of their siblings. (HOD)

Little research has focused on the particular characteristics necessary to gain and retain social support. To examine whether individuals' differing social support level could be differentiated on social skill level and physical appearance, and if these differences apply equally to males and females, 168 college students (84 males, 84 females)…

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)

Systematic observations of affiliative interaction in 15 stable peer groups were conducted across three years in an urban day care center. Groups contained 193 French-speaking children ranging in age from one to six years. (Author/RH)

A common sexual stereotype, supported by research evidence, is that women are more sociable than men. In studies using standardized measures of social interests, social values, needs for inclusion and acceptance, and the need for affiliation, women nearly always score higher than men. In studies comparing the social skills of women and men, women…

Describes experiments in which microcomputers were placed in large and small preschool classrooms to examine which free-play activities were and were not affected by microcomputer's presence, sex differences in microcomputer preference and use, social interactions occurring around microcomputers, and whether these interactions differ in frequence…