Three experiments with preschoolers tested the independence of the current state buffer from working memory. Findings indicated that when a teddy bear was an object put away with other toys, only half the preschoolers remembered its location despite explicit instructions. When the teddy was a character interacting with children, all remembered its…

Identifies the educational-, social-, and health-related risk-taking behavior (RTB) for children and adolescents and investigates the presence of gender- and age-related patterns. Reveals that health-related RTB is the most easily identified; educational and social RTB was greater for males while health RTB was greater for females; and involvement…

Compares the reading and comprehension ages of children who were in Reading Recovery at age 6 to those in a comparison group as they enter their fifth and sixth years in school. Reports that the ex-Reading Recovery children were 12 and 13 months superior in terms of reading and comprehension ages, respectively. (CMK)

Prevelance of self-reported victimization was found to be high, both while youth were in and out of school. Males and younger students reported higher rates of victimization. Males and 9th grade students were more likely to report engaging in delinquent behaviors. Students who report moderate/high levels of delinquency were more likely to report…

Summarizes that sexual activity was strongly associated with age, knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases, and attitudes toward sexuality. Positive affective responsiveness in the family was associated with sexual activity and number of sexual partners. Use of contraceptives was negatively related to affective involvement between parents.…

Described experiences of 84 German toddlers enrolled or not enrolled in child care. Found total amount of care per weekday did not differ by child-care status; child-care toddlers received lower care levels from center providers; their mothers engaged in more social interactions during nonworking hours than did mothers of home-only toddlers; and…

Examined whether and when children use information about others' mental states to invent or select persuasive strategies in three studies. Found older children, but not preschoolers, used belief information in stories to select arguments; and kindergartners' and first-graders' reasoning on false belief tasks suggested the failure to consider…

Estimated the frequency, comorbidity, and psychosocial impairment of depressive disorders from survey of 1,035 German 12- to 17-year-olds. Found that 17.9 percent met the lifetime criteria for depressive disorders, according to DSM-IV criteria; criteria were higher in females than in males. Rates for all disorders increased with age, with…

Examines children's verbal responses to music listening by interviewing 33 children in kindergarten through fifth-grade. Explains that three judges categorized their responses. Indicates judge consensus over the form and content of responses; age tendencies resulted in 3 questions; similarities between development of verbal responses to music and…

This study examined the relationship between degree of visual impairment and the self-reports of psychological distress by 167 Icelanders (ages 18-69) and 100 between the ages of 70-97, who were blind or had low vision. The study found that self-reports of psychological distress and perceptions of unhappiness varied significantly with the degree…

Disputes the common stereotype that adult students are less effective and less successful as students because they are adults. Finds no evidence in the literature that they lack the skills for effective study, experience learning difficulties because of age-related impairment in intellectual capabilities, or perform less well academically than…

In a longitudinal study following prekindergarten children through first grade, the variables verbal memory, IQ, and speech perception together predicted 26% of growth in and 42% of the final status of phonological awareness. Results also suggest that the effect of speech perception on word decoding is mediated by phonological processing ability.…

Nontraditional college students (N=66) participated in a career counseling workshop based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory. Results suggest that participation in the workshop had a significant, positive effect on career decision-making self-efficacy across levels of age, sex, year in college, and family income. (Author/MKA)

Examined nature and distribution of HIV-risk behavior in a broad, street-based sample of homeless and runaway youths in New York City (N=929). Found street youths in general to be at high risk, with the highest risks within older age segments of the male street youth population; paradoxically, these youths are least likely to be in contact with…

Examined the moral and ecological reasoning of second, fifth, and eighth graders regarding the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Found that children understood negative effects of the spill, cared that harm occurred to shoreline and marine life, and thought it violated a moral obligation. Fifth and eighth graders used a greater proportion of anthropocentric…