Language is a child's major tool for learning about the world. This book presents a naturalistic case study of one child's use of language from two-and-a-half to five years, drawing on systemic functional theory to argue that cognitive development is essentially a linguistic process and offering a new description and interpretation of linguistic…

Reports three studies which assess bias on the part of aggressive boys to overattribute hostile intentions to peers. After determining the condition under which aggressive attributions are made, the role of selective attention to and recall of hostile cues in biased attribution was investigated. Additionally, peer-directed aggressive behaviors…

Assessed the relation between four- and five-year-olds' prosocial behavior and empathy with a modified version of the Feshbach empathy measure. Prosocial behaviors were assessed naturalistically over 10 weeks. (Author/SS)

Naturalistic observations were made of children in grades one through six on school playgrounds. Observers coded interactive behaviors, affective valence, and play states. Aggressive children displayed more verbal and physical aggression, antisocial behaviors, and interaction than did nonaggressive children. Peers made similar initiations to the…

This article discusses the increased emphasis on providing early intervention services within natural environments and how to maximize natural learning opportunities by using everyday activities that children experience and embedding intervention in daily routines. Guidelines for deciding the frequency of services, changing services, and the level…

Reviews the research that suggests that qualitative approaches to the evaluation of library user education programs may sometimes be more appropriate than quantitative measures. The differences between quantitative and qualitative evaluation are discussed, and the instances in which one approach may be preferred to the other are identified. (17…

Definitions of and approaches to naturalistic evaluation are discussed. The qualitative aspects of the discipline are reviewed; and use of naturalistic evaluation in descriptions, illustrations, explications, hypothesis testing, and assessment of public spending are defined. A new paradigm for naturalistic evaluation is proposed. (TJH)

Describes a naturalistic paradigm and discusses the value of using a naturalistic, or qualitative, approach to study the effectiveness of computer-based instruction (CBI) and to design effective courseware. Topics discussed include data collection; data analysis; and findings of naturalistic studies of CBI effectiveness. (53 references) (LRW)

Examines the accuracy of quoted speech in newspapers, focusing on what people can remember verbatim and how that information relates to language processing, comprehension, and the mental representation of prose. Finds that memory for meaning was better than memory for verbatim prose, though memory for both was high. (MM)

Presents a nontraditional, naturalistic study of writing apprehension in the form of a dialogue between the subject of the case study and her teacher. Describes how the subject overcame a writing block (involving an undergraduate honors thesis) by writing about the block. Presents a sense of an individual writer and the social construction of her…

Described two types of naturalistic research from different theoretical traditions: new paradigm research and ecological psychology. Applications are suggested for research in college student development and for professional practice in college student affairs. Includes examples of naturalistic research and discusses criteria for scientific…

A brief ethnographic study of a metropolitan airport revealed that a relatively small number of people had taken up residence there, prizing the airport mainly for its survival utility and amenities. Policies and attitudes regarding the homeless and a critique of the pathological explanation for homelessness are explored. (CJS)

Used naturalistic observation to study 242 first- to third- graders playing two games that varied in physicality and competitiveness. As predicted, children interacted more often with same-sex peers. Findings support the necessity of investigating social context as an influence on children's own-sex favoritism. (SLD)

In this article I explore the ethical terrain of experiential learning activities drawing on my experiences leading college students on field trips into criminal justice settings. Though there are numerous educational benefits to adopting experiential learning activities, the rewards must be evaluated in light of the potential harms to nonstudent…

This paper discusses a formal study conducted in 2001 at Brigham Young University to determine the value of the library to the university community. Methods used to collect data for the study included an e-mail survey, usage statistics, naturalistic observations, and interviews. Two years after the study, the authors wondered if the conclusions of…