Children of mothers who were more assertive in their disciplinary styles tended to be less accepted by peers and to expect successful outcomes for unfriendly assertive methods for resolving peer conflict. Children who expected unfriendly assertive strategies to lead to self-oriented gains were less accepted by peers. (RH)

Studied 40 parents and their children aged 18-23 months to determine whether parents encouraged involvement with sex-stereotyped toys or avoidance of cross-sex-stereotyped toys, and whether masculine and feminine toys led to different patterns of parent-child interactions. Children showed greater involvement with same-sex than with cross-sex toys.…

Investigates the relationship between the home experiences of six children aged five years and their level of numerical understanding. High scorers were characterized by exposure to a wide range of number experiences, a strong family orientation towards numeracy, and the opportunity to observe their mothers using numbers to solve everyday…

Used data on 65 mother-infant dyads to test Kohn's hypothesis concerning the relation between values and parenting behavior. Findings support Kohn's hypothesis that parents who value self-direction would emphasize supportive function of parenting and parents who value conformity would emphasize their obligations to impose restraints. (Author/NB)

The career aspirations of 491 rural Ohio secondary students were identified. Results indicate that rural schools emphasize preparation for college attendance and that rural parents hold educational expectations for their children higher than their own attainments. Students also had high expectations, especially with regard to salary. (Author/CH)

Reviews recent literature, finding support for hypothesis that power of alcoholic parent within household is related to whether offspring become alcoholic. In considering reasons for this relationship, suggests that children and adolescents are more likely to emulate and identify with powerful alcoholic parent and, thus, learn that alcohol can…

This critical review of the literature finds little evidence to indicate that parents of children who stutter differ from parents of children who do not stutter in the way they talk with their children. Similarly, there is little support that parents' speech behaviors contribute to children's stuttering or that modifying parents' speech behaviors…

Summarizes a study of parental beliefs attempting to identify what behaviors and attitudes parents thought were important influences on the child's school success. The sample comprised parents of primary schoolers in a citywide district in the South. Results indicated that parents saw their role as crucially important to their child's academic…

The first phase of a pilot project to compare morbidity and mortality of children of three groups of mothers (illiterate, literate through formal schooling, literate through Nicaragua's National Literacy Crusade begun in 1980) found that substantial numbers of women became literate as a result of the crusade and have maintained their literacy. (SK)

Examined the relationships between parental behaviors and sibling relationships. Only one difference emerged between rates of maternal and paternal behavior toward children. Paternal behavior accounted for unique variance in sibling relationship quality more often than maternal behavior did. (Author/GLR)

Discusses ways for parents (and educators) to use the life stories of heroes, such as individuals who rescued Jews from the Holocaust, to foster children's moral courage, sense of right and wrong, and commitment to others. (MDM)

Administered Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), Maudsley Personality Inventory, and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) to 177 Japanese adolescents enrolled in foreign exchange student program before departure. Found that parental practices influenced personality features, which in turn contributed to mental health status. No direct significant…

This 3-year study, with 150 deaf children, found that 2 sets of 4 tests accounted for 64 percent of variance in both reading and writing skills for subjects with deaf parents. For subjects with hearing parents, five tests accounted for 77 percent of variance in reading, but only two tests accounted for 49 percent of variance in writing. (DB)

Conducted five-year study of the various choices students (n=4,923) must make at each grade level in high school to make solid decisions about which college or university to attend. Findings revealed that parents played important role in formation of students' educational aspirations and in decisions about saving for a postsecondary education. (NB)

Foster children (age 0-14, n=190) referred for mental health evaluations were compared to a subsample of 10 children identified as hyperphagic. These children displayed hyperactivity and poor impulse control, interpersonal skills, and communication skills. Mothers exhibited a high incidence of drug/alcohol abuse. Hyperphagia should alert…