This article compares research findings on heightened cognitive flexibility in academically gifted children and similar flexibility in social intelligence. It proposes that social-cognitive flexibility (the ability to adapt prior social knowledge to formulate solutions to new interpersonal situations) is an important component of social…

A study examined the skills and knowledge that television production specialists, with no previous experience or educational background prior to their employment at four-year universities, had to learn in order to perform jobs in distance education. Topics include technical skills, personal and interpersonal skills, and instructional design…

Examined Ojibwa families for relationship between quantity and quality of father involvement in childrearing and children's academic and social performance. Found that more time spent by fathers was associated with better academics and social development for boys, while greater nurturance was associated with poorer academic performance. Found that…

Examined continuity in parent-child relationships in a sample of German families. Traced connections between individual differences in a composite of markers of the parent-child attachment relationship system and later parent-child communications. Found that the composite modestly predicted variability in children's competence in forming…

Examined the relationship between early otitis media in children attending day care and children's subsequent behavior in the day care classroom when they were well. Found that day care children with chronic otitis media in the first three years of life play alone more often and have fewer verbal interactions with peers than nonchronic children.…

The University of North Carolina's rigorous Principals' Executive Program (PEP), modeled after Harvard University's leadership training program for business executives, serves about 40 principals annually. The program stresses nitty-gritty management skills and knowledge of self and others. PEP also provides conferences and symposia for alumni.…

Investigates the influence of children's affective dispositions and knowledge of emotions on their ability to use nonaggressive conflict resolution strategies, exploring connections between autonomy and socioemotional development. Finds that individual differences in affective dispositions and emotional knowledge influence children's abilities to…

A study of 66 children with cancer and 43 siblings attending the Ronald McDonald Camp found that disease-specific camps allow children membership in a community of peers, which enhances self-esteem and social acceptance. A separate, longitudinal study of 38 beginning and experienced campers found that campers' intrapersonal and interpersonal…

Notes that writing narrative stories about students' own lives has been shown to help children develop personal, social, and cultural connections. Explains a project in which second graders expanded their knowledge of their community and deepened their understanding of the reading and writing process. Describes the process in which the students…

A longitudinal study involving 250 adults who had been institutionalized found that once they moved into the community, social impairment did not change over time, although there was a significant decrease in conversation and social mixing, non-verbal communication, and initiation of conversation and social interaction. (Contains references.) (CR)

Examined preschoolers' peer acceptance, aggression, and peer competence. Found that children with at least one mutual friend were better liked by peers and were rated by teachers as being more competent than children with no mutual friend. Children with at least one mutual friend were better liked by peers a year later than children with no mutual…

Finds that eighth grade students in Facing History and Ourselves classrooms show increases in relationship maturity and decreases in racist attitudes and self-reported fighting behavior relative to comparison students. Reports that the gains made by Facing History students in moral reasoning and in civic attitudes and participation were not…

Study examined effectiveness of a substance abuse prevention program in preventing tobacco and alcohol use among elementary school students in grades 3 through 6. Program teaches social resistance skills and general personal and social competence skills. Findings indicate a school-based substance abuse prevention approach previously found to be…

A study evaluated the effectiveness of an 11-lesson psychoeducational program designed to enhance the ability of 14 children (ages 9-13) with hearing impairments to understand their own emotional experience and that of others. Children were enrolled in an "oral" education program. Results indicate significant increases in emotional vocabulary and…

A study involving elementary students with (n=336) and without (n=548) emotional disturbance (ED) found students with ED exceeded controls on the five ED characteristics stated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which are inability to learn, relationship problems, inappropriate behavior, unhappiness or depression, and physical…