School students' conceptual frameworks in astronomy and students' levels of knowledge and conceptualization were examined for 130 students in grades 2 through 12. Knowledge and conceptualization increased with school age. A test administered to 892 students in 7 schools demonstrated that schools contributed little to education in astronomy. (SLD)

Utilizes a sample of 225 first graders and 246 seventh graders to examine the imagery developed in response to neutral words. Finds that the children developed sex-specific masculine imagery in response to neutral messages, with boys doing so more frequently than girls, but the seventh graders used more inclusive imagery than the first graders.…

Forty-nine children (ages 8-17) with mental retardation recognized facial expressions less accurately than did subjects without retardation who were matched on chronological age. Mental age-matched groups showed no differences in accuracy at a younger mental age, but a difference was found at an older mental age. (Author/JDD)

Describes a study that used a computer survey to investigate the relationship between computer attitudes and the selected variables of age, gender, and computer knowledge among adult basic education students in Texas. Hypotheses tested are explained, comparisons are made with a national sample, and recommendations for further studies are…

The Affect Balance Scale (ABS) was administered to 380 undergraduate students. Factor analysis resulted in five negatively phrased items loading with the same signs as five positively phrased items. These results, contrary to previous results with older subjects, suggest that the ABS may not be appropriate for use across age groups. (Author/SLD)

Design, nationwide standardization, and validation of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents are presented, using a norm sample of 1,400 5- through 17-year-olds, with an additional 1,418 in supplementary samples. Eight reliable and distinct syndromes are recognized, six of which are generalizable across age, gender, and ethnicity. (SLD)

Comprehension and Picture Arrangement Wechsler subtest scores were correlated with clinician ratings of social competence and hostility for 82 children at risk for psychopathology and 62 healthy children and 124 at-risk and 113 healthy adolescents. Results do not suggest that either subtest is sensitive to social functioning. (SLD)

The conceptualization and measurement of student anger is discussed, and results from a study with 248 elementary school students are presented to demonstrate that specific ways of controlling and expressing anger can differentially affect school results. The predictive power of measures of anger and product terms are considered. (SLD)

In this introduction to the special journal issue on stress and coping, stress and coping theory is reviewed. Notes that issue is devoted to coping with stressors during transition of adolescence; age and gender differences in stress and coping; influence of close relationship as stress buffer; relationship between coping and adaption; and…

In this era of multiculturalism, young people find diversity so heavily emphasized that they may wonder whether centrifugal group loyalties may tear the nation apart. Most people born between 1961 and 1981 believe that they handle racial problems better than their elders did. (SLD)

Describes a theory of grandparent development. African-American (n=777), Caucasian (n=1086), and Hispanic (n=672) subjects of a three-generations study were administered the Grandparent Strengths and Needs Inventory. Perceptions of each generation about the attitudes and behaviors of grandparents were examined. Results showed significant…

The level of behavior problems in 406 students (ages 4-19) with intellectual disability was compared in "segregated" and "integrated" settings in New South Wales (Australia). A significantly greater number of behavior problems occurred in segregated settings after controlling for age, sex, and range of intellectual disability.…

A study of 539 foster parents found that some of the factors influencing their satisfaction were feeling competent to handle placed children, wanting to take in children who needed loving parents, no regret about investment in foster children, foster mother's age, and agency social worker providing information and showing approval. (Author/CR)

Survey vignette methodology was used to investigate undergraduate and graduate students' beliefs about what constitutes abusive behaviors in dating relationships. Although both contextual and demographic factors, especially gender and sexual orientation, affected student judgments of abusiveness, student characteristics explained relatively little…

Examines the impact of occupational prestige on sex-typing of occupations in Israel based on gender and age group (366 adolescents, 532 university students, and 148 teachers). Overall, university students had the most liberal attitudes and young adolescents, the least. Suggestions are given for reducing stereotyping among adolescents. (SLD)