Investigates developmental change and gender differences in sympathy and personal distress reactions in children. Examines interrelations among indexes used to assess sympathy and personal distress. (PCB)

Evaluates the pattern of celebratory activities in United States homes that accompanied television viewing of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. Finds that those watching the Olympics were more likely to be in a group, to have visitors, to plan their viewing, and to pay close attention to the television. (MS)

Examined the stability and circumstances of helping behaviors of 51 children of 41-69 months in a preschool classroom. Frequency of helping behaviors was not correlated with age or sex and was not stable over four 10-minute observation periods. Most helping acts were performed during nonimaginary play. (RJC)

Investigates incidence and type of looking away behaviors of six infants of three-six months. Results suggest that looking away should not be interpreted as a single behavior with a fixed meaning. Types of looking away behavior identified are buffering, distracted-business, and play. (RJC)

This study found race and sex differences with regard to proximity, smiling, and touching among preschoolers who posed for photographs with a same-sex peer and with an infant. (PCB)

Examined moral and conventional transgressions of 36 toddlers aged 24 and 36 months in a session with mothers and a session with mothers and peers. Moral transgressions were more frequent in the peer session, and conventional transgressions were more frequent when children were alone with mothers. (RJC)

Examined the developmental progression of third-grade children's adherence to social norms within the relationship contexts of friendship and acquaintanceship. Found that children do differentiate their behavior within naturally occurring relationships and that this differentiation appears relatively early. Attempts to integrate research on social…

Male and female college students judged the HIV-related risks of various sexual activities and acquiring a new same gender sex partner or one of opposite gender. Participants were aware of the risks of different sexual practices and partner combinations, although responses also revealed stereotypic and motivational biases. (LKS)

Discusses the article by Lewis in this issue in the context of complex systems theory. Reviews several concepts of complex systems theory, including self-organization, entropy, phase transitions, stochastic processes, nonlinearity, and attractors. Notes that Lewis highlights the need for psychological models to treat nonlinear processes, chaotic…

Examined the role that internalized cognitive representations may play as mediators of the link between family and peer relationships among 161 children age 7 through 12 years. Negative representations of self and others were found to be associated with increased social impairment, including dysfunctional social behavior and less positive status…

A total of 48 preschoolers were asked to cite reasons for their friendships, provide judgments of transgressions involving friends and nonfriends, and indicate preferences for conflict resolution strategies for friends and nonfriends. Children made conceptual distinctions between friends and nonfriends in judgments and offered justifications…

Conducted tutoring program designed to help children (n=497) in grades three through five undergoing unscheduled school transfers. Examined gender differences in self-concepts, academic performance, teacher evaluations, and peer ratings. Female transfer students reported lower self-concepts than males; teachers reported boys were more popular;…

Reports on an exploratory study of computer-mediated communication (CMC) that was conducted to provide empirical evidence of the emergence of social norms in computer conferencing. Results of a content analysis of transcripts of BITNET conferences are described, and a case study of one conference is included. (11 references) (LRW)

Observed rough-and-tumble play in young adolescent boys on the playground. Found that sociometrically defined average and rejected boys spent a greater portion of their time in rough play compared to popular boys and did so with children who were less dominant than they, suggesting that some children exploit play bouts for their own…

Children between 6 and 11 years of age watched vignettes of conflicts between children and adult authorities. Subjects categorized children in the vignettes as feeling bad, complying, or anticipating negative consequences for noncompliance. Reported compliance was correlated with anticipated negative consequences. (BC)