Patterns of mothering and fathering in 72 families were observed longitudinally and from the perspective of the family system when infants were 1, 3, and 9 months old. Findings suggested similarities and differences in mothering and fathering. (Author/RH)

A standardized open-ended interview was used to study how children, four to eight years of age, judge their own and their classmates' abilities. Self-ratings declined with grade, but peer ratings did not. Evaluation differences are discussed in terms of cognitive development and changes in the educational environment. (BS)

Discusses the increasing number of children viewing soap operas and reviews research findings of a study of third, fourth, and fifth graders' soap opera viewing habits in relation to motivation, age, gender, and what children learn about relationships from viewing. Parental mediation and further research needs are also discussed. (MBR)

Examined age-related changes in the organization underlying children's ratings of peer social deviance. Peer ratings of aggression, withdrawal, and likeability using the Pupil Evaluation Inventory (PEI) were collected from first, fourth, and seventh graders. For all ages aggression and likeability items were found to comprise cohesive categories…

Longitudinally examines interrelations between mother-child interactions and children's developing speech progress at six, 13, and 24 months of age. Children with large differentiated vocabularies showed superior in developmental progress relative to peers. Vocabulary progress was most closely linked to frequent responsive mother-child language…

Examines the hypothesis that adults and children have media-specific conceptions of picturing and that the functional uses of photography and drawing differ across development. Results showed an age progression from viewing photography as only reflecting the real object to viewing it as a medium that allows for control and alteration of reality.…

Preschool, second-, and sixth-grade children performed developmentally gradated, easy and difficult visual discrimination tasks in a quiet room or with one of two levels of extraneous auditory stimulation. Subjects' errors, response latencies, and glances away from the task were recorded. (Author/RH)

The Personal Reaction Scale was developed as a test for adults to measure their locus of control perceptions. It was administered to women college students, their parents, and parents of preschool children. Responses were factor analyzed to yield six factors: Fate, Social Self, Personal Self, Self-Determination, Luck, and Powerlessness.…

Analyzes the variation in prevalence rates of various substances in terms of age, year, and class effects. Interprets data provided by the Monitoring the Future Project, an ongoing survey of nationally representative high school senior classes. (KH)

Investigated time conceptualizations and delay of gratification capacities of 64 6- to 10-year-olds identified as impulsive or reflective according to performance on Kagan's Matching Familiar Figures Test. They were administered a maintenance of delay of gratification task, a time concept questionnaire, and several measures of temporal perspective…

Describes a French civilization course offered in Spain that compared French and Spanish cultures by looking at each from the perspective and stereotypes of the other. A module devoted to the influence of song in various contexts is described in some detail. (MSE)

Examined whether kindergarten and first-grade children give sex-biased responses if reinforced and/or triggered by language, specifically pronouns, that they hear. Results supported the pronomial dominance theory of pronoun functioning for young children. Results also suggest that boys but not girls use a self-imaging response to neutral…

Examined depression and self-esteem in gifted and nongifted fourth and fifth graders. Gifted children did not differ on levels of self-esteem or depression from their nongifted peers. Gifted boys reported lower levels of self-esteem and more depression than gifted girls. Boys were judged to be more depressed than girls, and fifth graders to be…

From a developmental perspective, examines the emotions and behaviors elicited by different types of infant cries. Participating were 60 children ranging in age from late preschool to preadolescence. (Author/RH)

Criticizes Dorval and Eckerman (included in this issue) for their findings' lack of generality due to the artificial nature of the conversational groups studied. Also both age changes in the ability to plan large conversational units and the functions of particular kinds of turns within these larger units are left unexplored. (CB)