Assertive behavior promotes the development of mutually satisfying relationships, with none of the disadvantages of passive or aggressive behavior. Because of the interpersonal and organizational benefits, managers should encourage assertive behavior throughout their organizations. (SK)

Using factor-analytic methodology, frequencies of various dyadic interactions were recorded in the "Iliad,""Beowulf," and "The Red Badge of Courage," literary works written approximately 1000 years apart. Results supported claims that interpersonal structures are universal but suggested the existence of an evolutionary process toward more…

The impact of anonymity on bystander reactions to emergencies and on the timing of bystander decision making was investigated in two laboratory experiments with college students. (Author/SS)

The author traces the origin of his thinking on a biobehavioral systems approach to human sociobiology and argues that it is a fruitful alternative to sociobiological models derived from population biology and genetics. Available from Behavioral Science, Systems Science Publications, University of Louisville, Louisvilly, KY 40208; sc $3.75.…

This paper highlights milestones in the development of conceptions of social giftedness in the general psychology and education literature and the literature specific to gifted education. It focuses on "the ability to act wisely in human relations" and addresses conceptual and methodological issues that have affected the study of the construct of…

Two studies examined social responses to attractive and unattractive faces on the part of 123 infants of 12 months. Results suggest that visual and behavioral preferences for attractiveness are exhibited much earlier in life than was previously thought. (RH)

Randomly selected full-time college students attending four-year colleges in 39 states completed a questionnaire about alcohol consumption and driving. The results revealed that 29 percent of the students drove after drinking some amount of alcohol 10 percent drove after drinking five or more drinks, and 23 percent rode with a driver who was high…

This booklet gives adults practical tips to help kids navigate the online world. Kids and parents have many ways of socializing and communicating online, but they come with certain risks. This guide encourages parents to reduce the risks by talking to kids about how they communicate--online and off--and helping kids engage in conduct they can be…

The term "literacy" is often used synonymously with reading and writing. However, literacy entails more than reading and writing. Literacy involves communicating with others and includes listening, viewing, following, and reading directions and interacting with friends and colleagues. The literacy skills and abilities are essential for all…

In this paper, the authors highlight features of the social and cultural context which surrounds services to children. Emphasis is given to the point that those who work with children exist within the same cultural landscape occupied by the children, parents and other parents. Whilst this landscape is diverse, it contains certain dominant,…

When he conducted the Stanford prison experiment, Philip G. Zimbardo wanted to know who would win--good people or an evil situation--when they were brought into direct confrontation. The situation won; humanity lost. Out the window went the moral upbringings of the young men involved in the experiment, as well as their middle-class civility. Power…

This study comprised of two experiments was designed to teach complex social sequences to children with autism. Experimental control was achieved by collecting data using means of within-system design methodology. Across a number of conditions children were taken to a room to view one of the four short videos of two people engaging in a simple…

Social developmentalists typically distinguish three levels of analysis in the study of peer relations in childhood and adolescence: individual, dyadic, and group. At the individual level of analysis, sociometric status and individual social behavior are studied. At the dyadic level, researchers traditionally study friendships but increasingly…