Reviews research on the effect of school climate on the social development of early adolescents and on three curricular programs (values clarification, moral development, and cooperative learning). Concludes that schools can positively influence socio-moral development through non-traditional schooling, i.e., open and democratic environments,…

A review of research regarding the self-concept, locus of control, temperament, problem behavior, and social status of learning-disabled (LD) adolescents reveals a general lack of information, conflicting results, and methodological pitfalls inherent in the study of LD adolescent personality and behavioral development. (CB)

Two procedures were compared for reducing violent or aggressive theme play of six preschool children with behavior disorders and five normally developing peers. Contingency statements followed by a modified time-out produced consistently lower rates of violent theme play than did verbal prompts to engage in more appropriate types of play.…

A multitrait-multimethod matrix analysis indicated the following: (1) trait and behavior measures of masculinity and femininity showed little convergence; (2) trait masculinity did not meet the criteria for discrimination from self-esteem; and (3) trait masculinity was more strongly correlated with self-esteem than was behavior masculinity.…

Examined the stress and illness paradigm by considering influences of social interest and coping styles on three measures of health status: overall health, somatic symptoms, and energy level. Subjects (N=109) included office workers, nurses, and graduate students. Found social interest and daily hassles explained significant amounts of variance on…

A total of 48 children (aged 4-14) with severe pervasive developmental disturbance, exhibiting mutism, echolalia, or nonecholalic speech, were observed in their communicative behaviors across modalities. Levels of symbolization in gesture, play, and drawing were significantly intercorrelated and were most strongly correlated with the criterion…

Four studies involving 40 pigtail monkeys are described in which relatively short separation experiences in infancy were associated with evidence of persistent changes in social behavioral function (less sociability, fewer close friends) and immunological function (suppression of lymphocyte proliferation) up to 6 years later. (Author/JDD)

Synthesizes literature on social comparison in young children. Findings center on (1) children's motivations to engage in social comparison; (2) peer targets; (3) age when social comparison appears; (4) developmental sequences; (5) effects upon subsequent behavior; and (6) sex-related differences. Suggests pratical implications for teaching.…

Filmed 30 infants monthly between one and seven months of age where mothers or unfamiliar women responded to their cries by picking up or talking to the infants. Results suggest that infants develop conditioned associations among distress-relief patterns by one month, and cognitive expectations by four or five months. (Author/BB)

Reports on two studies related to the effect of early stress on the social and academic development of boys and girls. Suggested that the social resiliency of boys was relatively consistent from age 3 to 18, while girls had no such pattern. Academic performance of boys was lower than girls. (TW)

Experimentally increased positive social interactions between an isolate, White first grader and socially active, Indian first graders. The procedure involved three five-minute observation periods, and brief feedback. Results showed that the child's rate of positive social interaction increased and was maintained across a period of six months.…

Undergraduate students increase their understanding of human geography and become aware of their community's health ecology by examining the degree and geographical pattern of dog-associated health hazards in Athens, Georgia, and by studying the behavioral patterns and attitudes of Athens's residents that might be causally related to these health…

From the social constructivist perspective, this paper examines speech style shifts in academic consultation sessions between professors and students in Japanese universities and demonstrates that politeness is an interactional achievement. The paper attempts to show how what has previously been described as a display of discernment can be…

Violence is increasingly present in Quebec schools. Our position is that we should invest in "primary" prevention of violence by helping preschool children develop cognitive competencies. One of the aspects of cognitive development explored in this text regards children's Social Representations (SR) of violence. Indeed, a number of…

This paper discusses the results of a study that investigated the effectiveness of the Vermont Best Practices for Educating Students with Serious Emotional Disturbances in Their Local Public Schools and Communities project. The purpose of the project was to use best practices in the development of programs and services for students with serious…