Mothers of gifted children were significantly more likely than mothers of average children to encourage metacognitive strategies, but mothers of average children provided more direct solutions and talked more about child nontask behavior. (RH)

Suggests ways parents can help steer their children toward the field of science, noting the current decrease in the proportion of students in science and engineering. Some of the ideas are to take children to museums, watch science specials on television, and buy toys and tools that teach. (SM)

Interviews with 200 Nigerian students and 40 teachers revealed that parental illiteracy, pupils' perceived irrelevance of school curriculum, and poor teacher-student relationships were significantly associated with truancy. However, measures taken by the schools included administration of punishment and consultation with disaffected pupils. (32…

Examines the effects of social influences on undergraduates' decisions to leave or remain at the university where they began their higher education. Reports that, with other variables held constant, effects of social influences on students' persistence remained significant. Finds that parents and peers have stronger influence than faculty on the…

Examines whether a difference exists between parental and teachers' attitudes and expectations toward Black, disadvantaged children and a child's success or nonsuccess in reading. Finds that students who perceived negative attitudes and expectations were more likely to be unsuccessful readers. (MG)

A study investigated the effect of paternal presence or absence on the social-emotional, language, and academic outcomes of 22 children with hearing impairments (ages 43 to 83 months). Children whose fathers were present had significantly better academic and language outcomes than those without a father present. (Author/CR)

Explains that the Trivers-Willard hypothesis says that high-status parents favor sons over daughters while low-status parents favor daughters over sons. Examines whether the Trivers-Willard hypothesis is warranted by testing whether its predictions hold true among parents of adolescents in the United States. Finds little evidence to support the…

A comparison of adolescent children of Vietnam combat veterans with non-combat veterans found the majority of outcomes were not significantly different. However, children of combat veterans showed poorer attitudes towards school; more negative attitudes towards their father; experienced more depression, tension, apprehension, and anxiety; and…

Compares the family-centeredness of East and West Berliners with primary school-aged children shortly after the breakdown of East Germany by examining parental attitudes regarding friendship among children. Observes that while parents in East Berlin exerted greater control than those in West Berlin, children's integration into their extrafamilial…

Examines the relation among family characteristics, school achievement, parenting style, and parental involvement in schooling focusing on 525 adolescents of the Quebec-Appalachian region. Finds that family characteristics contributed less to school achievement than parenting practices and that family characteristics had no moderating effect on…

Explores the role of observed parental affect and encouragement in children's empathy-related responding and moral behavior, specifically cheating on a puzzle activity. Finds that (1) parents' affect and encouragement positively related to children's sympathy (not empathy) and (2) boys' cheating on the puzzle correlated to parents' affect and…

Examined the role of four separate maternal parenting factors (warmth, punitiveness, intrusiveness, and involvement in school activities) in kindergartners' cognitive competence among Head Start children. Found that maternal intrusiveness predicted child cognitive competence while children were in Head Start, and maternal school involvement…

In a longitudinal study of 101 children at ages 9 and 10, structural equations path models support predictions that children's academic intrinsic motivation is positively related to parental encouragement of task endogeny and negatively related to parental provision of task-extrinsic consequences. (SLD)

Examines the relationship between identity status categories and the experience of parental influence on career development. Life stories of 11 young adults regarding significant events through which their parents influenced them were classified by narrative structure based on Gergen and Gergen's macrostructure framework. Results indicated…

Examines the impact of parental wealth on their children's educational attainment using data from the 1984 Panel Study of Income Dynamics investigating the educational outcomes of the children in 1995. Demonstrates that parental wealth, as measured by net worth, has a strong nonlinear effect on the postsecondary schooling of offspring. (CMK)