This study was conducted to observe the effects of social class on the interaction of mothers and their 12-week-old infants. Data on the infants' cognitive and attentive behavior was also obtained. Each of 32 white and black infants from five different levels of social class was observed at home for two full hours of waking time. Observed infant…

This study investigated children's sex biased attitudes as a function of the sex, age, and race of the child as well as a geographical-SES factor. Two attitudes were measured on a 55-item questionnaire: Sex Pride (attributing positive characteristics to a child of the same sex) and Sex Prejudice (attributing negative characteristics to a child of…

The relationship of social class and racial prejudice to the home management skills of black Americans was the focus of this study. A questionnaire (a copy of which appears in an appendix) was used to interview a sample of 100 people divided into four subgroups: low social class blacks, low social class whites, middle social class blacks, and…

Thirty-six pairs of 4-year-olds played a game which required cooperative interaction in order to get prizes. Subjects were highly responsive to the cue of limited reward and relatively insensitive to the necessity of mutual assistance and the possibility of sharing by taking turns. (Author/WY)

Guessing patterns differ between children of lower and middle class. It is hypothesized that lower class children, because they live in an environment affording fewer rewards for problem solving, come to expect a lower degree of success than their middle class peers. Eighty white kindergarten children attending urban public school were divided…

This study was designed to investigate the assumption that young, lower-class black children have language deficits based on the use of a restricted (as opposed to an elaborated) syntactic code. The speech of 69 black, lower-class and 30 white, middle-class 4 1/2-year olds was compared. Speech samples were elicited through semistructured picture…

Response rates and latencies of white, lower-, and middle-class preschool children were measured in an experimentally-induced frustration situation. Socioeconomic class differences in frustration situation. Socioeconomic class differences in frustration reactions were found; two possible hypotheses are offered in explanation. (SDH)

Effects of lower versus middle class parental occupation, verbal intelligence, and action content of pictured stimuli upon nonverbal serial recall were investigated in white first-graders attending a semi-rural elementary school in southeastern Michigan. Forty lower class and 20 middle class children, (half boys and half girls) were grouped on the…

From a sociological perspective, examines the transition of a lower-class, Black urban community into a partially integrated, middle-class community. Describes economic and social interactions across racial and class lines. (ML)

To determine the relationship between parental childrearing practices, sex-role preference, and intellectual functioning in young boys, 21 lower class and 21 middle class white fathers were observed at home interacting with their 4-year-old sons. The Binet, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and Brown's "It" Scale were subsequently…

Many early childhood programs have as a goal the development of standard English speech for non-standard English speaking children. This paper analyzes the assumptions underlying this goal and finds such assumptions lacking in empirical support. (Author/HS)

To assess mother-child interaction, 23 mother-child pairs from the West Harlem ghetto (half lower class and half middle class Negroes) and from Washington Square (white middle class) were observed. Children were 3-year-old boys. Each pair spent 30 minutes in a laboratory playroom and were observed and tape-recorded. Children's nonverbal…

This report provides detailed technical information concerning the Preschool Racial Attitude Measure II (PRAM II) a method for assessing the attitudes of pre-literate children toward light- and dark-skinned individuals. Several major changes were involved in the PRAM II revision: (1) the length was doubled, (2) the general artistic quality of the…

Two experiments were conducted to determine how initial task experiences of success and failure combine with observation of task outcomes in same-age, same-sex peers to affect the achievement expectations of second and third graders. The first experiment involved lower class urban Black children; the second involved middle class rural White…

The objectives of this project were to assess and improve learning skills and language abilities in culturally disadvantaged children. The five studies included under this cover were prepared as self-contained reports yet they shared these common objectives. The studies are: (1) Learning Efficiency and Elaboration Training among Four- and…