Compared children's play with transformational objects (vehicles that change to robots) to play with representational objects (cars and figures). Found that those playing with transformers engaged in more parallel play and manipulative activity, while those with representational objects displayed more social play and more symbolic play. Found no…

Examined relations between social behavior and daily patterns of a stress-sensitive hormone production in preschool children attending center-based child care. For boys, externalizing behavior was positively associated with cortisol reactivity, while internalizing behavior was negatively associated with median (typical) cortisol. Median cortisol…

Studied the adjustment status associated with engagement in gender normative versus gender nonnormative aggression for boys and girls. Teacher and self-reports were used to assess internalizing and externalizing difficulties. Found that 9- to 12-year olds who engaged in gender nonnormative aggression were more maladjusted than children who engaged…

Compared boys' and girls' use of interference competition during game play when resources were scarce or plentiful, among children from kindergarten or fourth grade. Found that fourth-grade girls used less interference competition when resources were plentiful, while their male peers and kindergartners of both sexes used interference competition…

Examined whether activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system, as indexed by average home afternoon levels of cortisol in children age 4.5 years, would predict socioemotional adjustment measured a year and a half later. Found that higher cortisol levels were associated with withdrawal-type behaviors of internalizing and social…

Two studies examined children's and adolescents' attitudes toward aggression. Found that boys viewed physical aggression as more hurtful than social aggression and girls rated social aggression as more hurtful. Girls rated an aggressor as more angry than did boys. Middle and high school participants viewed social aggression as indicating more…

This study investigated the impact of different types of parental support on children's social integration in peer relationships in middle childhood. Subjects were 116 second- through fifth-grade children from an inner-city primary school in Berlin (West), who were interviewed about their friends. Sociometric tests were also conducted. The parents…

Assessed mothers' childrearing attitudes and toddler behavior to predict mothers' emotions, attributions, parenting goals, and socialization strategies in response to vignettes depicting aggressive and withdrawn child behaviors two years later. Found that most child effects were moderated by maternal attitudes or gender effects. Authoritarian…

Investigated associations between parents' reported coercion and negotiation with their children, children's self-reported conflict strategies with peers, and their behavioral competence rated by both parents. Results obtained through observation, interviews, and questionnaires included a concurrent correlation between parents' use of coercion and…

Developed measures of relational aggression for young children. Found that relational aggression appears at young ages and can be distinguished from overt aggression. Preschool girls are more relationally and less overtly aggressive than boys. Relational aggression is related to social-psychological maladjustment. (Author/KB)

Observed 88 first and second graders and 76 fifth and sixth graders during playground interactions. A time-sampling procedure recorded gender, race, and group size of all interactive play in seven playground areas. Found that mixed-gender interactions were more likely than same-gender ones to include other races, and mixed-race interactions…