Evaluates theories that explain the origins of conduct disorder and the evidence supporting them. Evidence is interpreted as demonstrating the primacy of the child's contribution to conduct disorder within a reciprocal parent-child interactive system, and thus corroborating control systems theory. Citations number 106. (RH)

Mothers' emotion and personality characteristics were assessed by behavior ratings and self-reports; infants' characteristics by maternal reports and objective coding. Security of infant-mother attachment in the Ainsworth Strange Situation was predicted by mothers' emotional experience, expressive behavior, and personality traits, and by infants'…

Sixty-five subjects diagnosed as learning disabled and reporting police contact by the median age of 18 were interviewed at age 25. Analysis on parent and subject variables correctly classified 75% of subjects into persisting and nonpersisting delinquent groups and revealed that personality characteristics such as impulsivity and poor judgment…

Discusses the purposes of assessment in programs for young children and the role of assessment in the context of children's lives, parents' concerns, and teachers' and administrators' situations. Also discusses how observation-based assessment can be used as part of a developmentally appropriate assessment process serving children, parents,…

Discovers that having cable television in the house may result in more viewing sanctions as well as more unsanctioned viewing for children, although younger children receive more parental attention to their television viewing whether or not they have access to cable. (PRA)

Continuity over time in parent-child attachments and the relationship between these attachments and current self-esteem were studied for 218 nonparent college students. Results indicate continuity over time of attachment. Self-esteem is related to childhood and adolescent styles of attachment and dimensions of independence encouragement and…

Analysis of data from the National Youth Survey reveals that the time that adolescents spend with family (particularly on weekends) can reduce or eliminate the influence of delinquent peers. By contrast, attachment to parents has no such effect but may deter delinquency indirectly by inhibiting the initial formation of delinquent friendships.…

This study examined the effect of parental attitudes and exercise habits on child fitness and activity levels. Parents and children completed surveys on exercise, activity, and attitude. Results indicated that parental attitudes and practices had minimal effect on child fitness. Findings indicate the need to examine other factors in the child's…

Examines an often-overlooked issues of gender equity--the importance of fathers in the development of their children. Highlights include: the lack of male presence in many children's lives; benefit of involvement for children and fathers; timeliness for supporting fathering; and a partnership between libraries, literature, and fathering. (AEF)

Describes a workshop for parents of children enrolled in a four-week summer reading program for struggling readers. Discusses parents' views about literacy, their questions about a singular instructional focus, and their situation in the larger literacy community. Notes that radical change did not occur during the program. Argues that parents need…

Explored three aspects of gender roles, surveying college students from middle class families with either one or two parents. Results indicated that there were differences in gender roles between students from one-parent and students from two-parent families. Students from both types of families viewed the ideal person as androgenous. (SM)

Stresses the importance of early musical experiences for children to assist in their musical development. Addresses how a child's home environment affects their musical development, the similarities between language acquisition and musical development, and the role parents and teachers have in developing young children's musical abilities. (CMK)

Comparison of 57 rural adolescents choosing agriculture careers with 474 who did not shows that (1) more males than females chose agriculture; (2) parents of students choosing agriculture were less likely to have high school education; (3) students whose fathers worked in service/labor/farming or who had lower socioeconomic status were more likely…

Developed a comprehensive sequential family control model to explain the effects of family functioning variables, marital relations, and parent deviant models on early adolescent delinquency. Fourteen constructs were used to build and test the model, including mother's childbearing age, socioeconomic disadvantage, family adversity, onset of…

Investigated parental academic involvement with young adolescents both at home and at school. Considered contributions of personal characteristics to at-home and at-school parental involvement, parent educational level as a moderator, and contributions of at-home and at-school parental involvement in young adolescents' school functioning. (DLH)