Examined whether social cognitions forecast change in aggressive habits over the school year for 189 third through seventh graders. Found that aggression-encouraging cognitions assessed in the fall promoted aggression over the school years, but that such developments hinged on the child's sex and on initial levels of aggression and victimization.…

Examined relations between social behavior and daily patterns of a stress-sensitive hormone production in preschool children attending center-based child care. For boys, externalizing behavior was positively associated with cortisol reactivity, while internalizing behavior was negatively associated with median (typical) cortisol. Median cortisol…

Discusses computer conferencing in higher education, presents a community of inquiry model that includes benefits of computer conferencing, and discusses social presence, defined as the ability of learners to project themselves socially and affectively into a community of inquiry. Topics include teacher immediacy, coding, and content analysis of…

Describes a technique for teaching personality theories to undergraduate psychology students where they view segments from films and use the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB) to explore interactional behavior. Presents results from a study where SASB was used in an introductory psychology course. (CMK)

This study reports marked reductions in self-injurious behavior and aggression of two adults with profound mental retardation treated with clozapine, who were non-responsive to all other behavioral and psychopharmacological interventions, including risperidone. The most effective dose was 200mg/day. Side effects were mild and the drug was…

This observational study of the social interactions of 16 children with autism or Down syndrome in their homes found that differences in the frequencies and complexities of children's behaviors depended on behavioral intent in both groups. Socially intended behaviors were less frequent, less self-initiated, and less complex in children with…

Provides a review of the literature in the area of social characteristics of children with AD/HD, and outlines interventions for working with specific social problems. Presents possible reasons for the peer rejection of AD/HD students and includes inappropriate social behavior, social knowledge deficits and biases, and negative interactions with…

Examined the relationship among "laddishness" (traditionally working-class, youthful, male social behavior by young women), social representations, and self-reported aggression among English college students. Measures of aggression correlated with holding more instrumental representations of aggression. Females indicated no relationship…

Investigated differences in Korean- and European-American preschoolers' pretend play behavior, examining the influence of intracultural variations in children's skills and behavioral characteristics. Data from parent and teacher interviews and observations of children highlighted similar patterns predictive of pretend play for both groups.…

Provides an overview of the field of literacy studies, describing the range of work that has been covered and identifying current unresolved issues as ways of suggesting future directions and showing ways that literacy can be seen as an integral part of language. (Author/VWL)

Survey data from a southwestern metropolitan area are used to analyze whether the ability of personal Christian religiosity to predict social conformity is spuriously due to self-control. Results indicate that both personal religiosity and self-control display statistically significant, independent negative net relationships with many forms of…

This article discusses a study of children's perspectives on disciplinary conflicts with their foster parents. Most children accept parental authority, but they also defend their personal autonomy and loyalties to peers. In this study, only birthchildren told real-life stories about fierce resistance to get their own way. Fierce resistance among…

The Teacher Behavior Rating Scale (C. H. Hart & C. C. Robinson, 1996) was used to compare the withdrawn and sociable behaviors of 41 children with specific language impairment (SLI) and 41 typically developing peers. Three subtypes of withdrawal (reticence, solitary-active, solitary-passive) and 2 subtypes of sociable behavior (prosocial, impulse…

Four-year-old children showing low levels of social behavior in a laboratory play session with unfamiliar peers were classified as reticent (unoccupied or onlooking behaviors) or solitary-passive (solitary constructive or exploratory play). Compared with a group of more social children, the children in both low-social groups were rated high on…

Despite the inclusion of Asperger syndrome in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders--Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1994) 10 years ago, there is ongoing debate regarding its validity as a diagnostic construct, particularly relative to the diagnosis of autistic disorder when it is not accompanied…