This 9-month naturalistic study investigated maternal influence on the responses of 1 1/2- to 2-year-old infants to emotional distress events occurring in the family environment. Mothers were trained to report details of distress incidents, of the child's reactions to the person in distress, and of the mother's own response to the child and to the…

This study charts the development of social interchange patterns (reciprocity) between familiar peers and adults from written and videotaped observations of 72 children at ages 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, and 42 months. Two additional groups of eight children were observed over a 12-month interval in a parallel longitudinal design. Measures included…

Studies with the Madsen Cooperation Board are described, showing differences in cooperation and competition between Polynesian and European children. Another study of Cook Islands, Samoan, and Fijian children is reported and the school's role in increasing competitive behavior discussed. Teaching changes are suggested to encourage more adaptive…

A method is proposed for modeling developmental data, and particularly the developmental relationship between the age of a child and the presence or absence of aggressive behavior. A dichotomous logistic response model is used. (Author/JKS)

Social skills are defined as those social behaviors, interpersonal and task-related, that produce positive consequences in the classroom. The case is made that social behaviors are currently taught informally, that some social behaviors are important prerequisites for academic success, and that these behaviors can and should be taught…

The effects of structuring classroom learning cooperatively or individualistically were compared, and results indicated that cooperative, compared to individualized, learning resulted in greater ability to take the affective perspective of others, more altruism, more positive attitudes toward classroom life, and higher achievement. (Author/BW)

The importance of developing positive, reciprocal interaction has been well documented. If affective education for young handicapped children is to become a reality, additional research is necessary to identify those response patterns that set the occasion for positive reciprocal interaction. (Author)

Designed and administered the Student Community Service Involvement Survey to assess students' reasons for volunteering. College students indicated that their motives for involvement in community service were egoistic and altruistic. Demographically, student volunteers were not too different from the general student population. Volunteerism was…

Reports results of questionnaires and interviews conducted with 123 parents (mostly mothers) of preschool, first-grade, and sixth-grade children. Finds that parental limitations on children's altruism are based on cogent rationales and are a direct function of the situational cost involved and the age and familiarity of the recipient. (CB)

Nonretarded fourth through sixth-graders (N=91) viewed a videotape of either a nonretarded, mildly retarded, or moderately retarded target child reading. They then were read a story depicting the target as either socially competent, withdrawn, or aggressive. Prosocial behavior attributes had a positive effect on children's attitudes and behavioral…

Familiar or unfamiliar rejected, popular, neglected, and average Black fourth-grade boys met in play groups once a week for six weeks. The investigation focused on the extent to which social status becomes reestablished in new social circumstances and behavior patterns associated with the evolution of status positions in new groups. (RH)

Discusses the social education derived from a group living community service program. Outlines the format and philosophy of the program, discusses the house meeting process, highlights the stages of intensifying tension and release, and defines the role of staff in assuring the group progression. (Author/LLL)

Because research shows that children model themselves after the adults around them, the importance of the teacher as a role model is emphasized. Teachers and students should examine the lives and actions of role models of empathic behavior, and children need to become involved in their own prosocial action projects. (RM)

Adolescence represents a unique period in the life cycle. No longer children and not yet adults, adolescents make significant choices about their health and develop attitudes and health practices that impact their current safety and well-being. Those choices also often influence their risk for future serious chronic disease. Adolescence also…

This booklet provides information about the values and skills that make up character and good citizenship and what parents can do to help their children develop strong character. It suggests activities that parents and school-aged children can do to put those values to work in their daily lives and tips for working with teachers and schools to…