This study interviewed 51 children, ages 3 to 7, about an inoculation after an approximate 2-week delay. Responses indicated a relationship between parents' attachment avoidance and children's distress during the inoculation. Parental attachment anxiety and the interaction between parental avoidance and children's stress predicted children's…

This longitudinal study examined the development, antecedents, and concomitants of empathic concern in the second year of life among 125 first-born girls. Findings indicated that empathic concern for mother's simulated distress increased from 16 to 22 months, whereas empathy for a stranger's simulated distress decreased. Fearful temperament and…

Examined links between parental knowledge and adolescent delinquent behavior for correlated rates of developmental change and reciprocal associations from age 14 to 18. Found that parent knowledge was negatively correlated with delinquent behaviors at age 14 and knowledge increases over time were negatively correlated with increases in…

Examined the prevalence of mental health disorders and the sociodemographic factors associated with having a mental health disorder in a probability sample of 185 African American and white single mothers. Analyses revealed that race and being on welfare were associated with increased risk of having a mental health disorder, highlighting the need…

A review of 20 independent samples found a wide range of school and student variables influence the use of administrative discipline contacts, whereas administrator/teacher and family variables have less influence. Relevant variables include participation in athletics, child neglect, antisocial behavior, and anecdotal suspension report. (Contains…

A study of 461 families of adults with mental retardation found that factors that predicted being put on a waiting list for residential placement included Down syndrome diagnosis, higher unmet needs, smaller parental support networks, and better maternal health. Predictors of residential placement included being on a waiting list, poorer maternal…

A follow-up study of 80 students (ages 17-22) with cognitive disabilities for whom data regarding self-determination had been collected prior to their high school exit found that the self-determined students were more likely to have achieved more positive adult outcomes, including being employed and earning more per hour. (Author/CR)

This study found that three measures of working memory capacity (processing and storage capacity, reading and listening span, and visual shape span) were good predictors of reading achievement in 30 orally educated children (ages 5 to 14) with hearing impairments as well as in an age-matched hearing control group. Degree of hearing loss did not…

Examined predictive relations between infant assessments and behavior problems at age 7 in a low-income sample. Found that disorganized infant attachment behavior and below average mental development at 18 months were associated with externalizing behavior at 7 years. Avoidant infant attachment behavior was associated with later internalizing…

Using a nine-year study, examines the extent to which selected admissions criteria predicted the future performance of 34 family therapy doctoral students. Age and clinical background were positively related to clinical ratings and letters of recommendation and student autobiographies were positively related to publications. Entrance exams and…

Determined whether family characteristics, particularly family cohesion and social support, can explain why teenagers from alcoholic families are more likely to use a variety of recreational and addictive substances. Found that a combination of characteristics, such as a lack of bonding, produces particularly high rates of adolescent alcohol and…

A study of 29 single-parent families, 35 two-parent families, 17 families of children with Down syndrome, 16 families of children with hearing impairment, and 29 families of children with developmental delay, found that parents of children with Down syndrome or with developmental delays experienced a greater proportion of child-related stress. (CR)

Examined performance of Canadian French- and English-speaking preschoolers on four number tasks. Found that French-speaking preschoolers performed more poorly on rote-counting and number-recognition than English-speaking preschoolers. Found no difference between groups on counting objects. Variability in counting and number recognition was…

This study of perceived social support and weapon possession surveyed 461 students in an urban middle school. Students who reported carrying weapons to school reported less overall or total perceived social support (from peers, parents, teachers, classmates, and school) than did their peers who did not carry weapons. Perceived social support was a…

Examines data from 358 African American students and 229 European American students to determine if the phenomenon of academic disidentification occurred. Analyses revealed that among African American male students, the relationship between academic self-concept and grade point average (GPA) significantly decreased, whereas the relationship…