Results of four mid-1970s experiments continue to be used as evidence that exposure to media violence desensitizes children to real-life aggression. This study replicated procedures from those experiments using contemporary video materials, and results confirmed original findings that children tend to tolerate more the aggressive behaviors of…

Tested a process model for the impact of children's exposure to marital conflict on their behavior adjustment with a sample of 28 couples and their 6-year-old children. Found that maternal conflict behavior and children's negative emotional reactions to fathers independently predicted children's behavioral adjustment. (MDM)

Discusses techniques that teachers and parents can use to help young children cope with the birth of a new sibling and reduce fighting amongst siblings. Young children need to understand what is taking place, what is expected of them, and how they should interact with their brother or sister. (MDM)

Discusses the theme of morning from the perspective of children. Provides several passages and describes stories from children's books that deal with the subject. Discusses the benefits of morning activities and routines, as well as morning journeys and exploration. Presents a creative activities sampler and print and film resources. (AEF)

A study found that children whose parents smoke are more likely to be smokers than children whose parents do not smoke. Maternal smoking has a stronger effect than paternal smoking on smoking by young adolescents, and has a stronger effect on daughters than on sons. Perceived peer smoking is an important determinant of a child smoking, especially…

Individual differences in children's conceptual strategies at 3 years of age were predicted by aspects of children's behavior and language at 13 and 24 months. Production of pointing gestures at 13 months and nouns and attributive adjectives at 24 months were positively associated with the use of a taxonomic matching strategy at 3 years of age.…

An "in vivo" direct instruction procedure involving the therapist working directly with parents to provide immediate consequences for a child's noncompliant behavior was used. Following training, improvements in correct responding of parents was evident. When assessing parents' initial skill level, child compliance was not found to be an accurate…

This essay asserts that clinical conceptualizations of emotion that stress its disruptive influences and functional models of emotion that emphasize its adaptive aspects can be integrated into a developmental psychopathology framework. Under certain conditions, emotion regulation may develop dysregulatory aspects that can become a characteristic…

To establish baseline data on South African children's behavior, observed 80 children at home and interviewed the children's primary caregiver. Gathered data on patterns of interaction and language use, content of activity, and use of objects. Presents general biographical and behavioral data, notes gender differences, and compares this data to…

Using qualitative methods of participant observation and in-depth interviewing, this research explored kindergarten, first-, and second-grade children's perceptions of classroom activities. Young children perceived classroom activities in terms of what they considered to be work and what they considered to be play. A work-play continuum is…

Studied Japanese preschool children's conflict resolution and how they and their mothers evaluate teachers' conflict resolution methods. Found that preschoolers' conflicts stemmed from wide range of issues, including concerns about justice, rights, and fairness. Preschoolers used negotiation more than retribution or appeals to teachers, which…

Examined 115 college students' ability to remember, draw, and discuss favorite childhood play experiences. Found play materials remembered were frequently either natural objects (for example, rocks and leaves) or nonplay items (for example, pots and pans). Social play with friends or siblings was remembered more often than solitary activities, and…

Examines the strengths and weaknesses of interpretive and quantitative research methods in comparative developmental research. Cites three recent studies of the Yupno, Fiji, and Mayan peoples to show how the interpretive approach contributes to the understanding of the meaning of behavior in context whereas the quantitative approach contributes a…

Compared attention, behavioral reaction, facial affect, and cardiac responses of 22 autistic and 22 mentally retarded preschoolers to emotional displays. Found that both groups looked more at the experimenter and displayed more interest and concern when the experimenter showed strong distress than when she showed neutral affect. Autistic…

Examined the connection between chronic residential crowding and student adjustment, academic achievement, vulnerability to learned helplessness, blood pressure, and parent-child relationship in 10- to 12-year olds in urban India. Found that crowding was positively associated with blood pressure only among boys, and with learned helplessness only…