Examined the family backgrounds, health and developmental characteristics of 127 children from disadvantaged and deprived environments adopted after age 4. Found that parental psychosocial antecedents, medical and health problems and difficulties in infancy were more prevalent in this group than in the general population. Late age of placement,…

Achievement-related beliefs and behaviors of parents of 41 economically disadvantaged African American youth and the relations among parental factors and children's academic self-concept and achievement were studied. Significant and positive relations between parental belief and behavior measures are discussed in light of models of family…

Describes use of guided imagery in a family of origin group. Outlines three stages in the process of differentiation from family: identification, integration, and activation of the individual's thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Use of guided imagery is highlighted as a means for accessing the unconscious and increasing the clients' awareness of…

Examines why some Asian American students withdraw from or rebel against academic expectations. Reports on an ethnographic study of an Asian American student that gives particular attention to his family background and peer relationships. (TB)

Discusses the issue of early musical experience to provide the necessary background for musical achievement in the future. Presents a review of research on musical practice, motivation, and cognitive skills of music performance. Addresses the implications of the research on music education overall. Includes references. (CMK)

Examined the contexts related to antisocial fighting behaviors among urban, African American high school students. Data on students' social contexts (family, neighborhood, peers, and school) and fighting behaviors indicated a relationship between negative peer influence and antisocial fighting behaviors. The combination of all four negative…

By age 3, children from privileged families have heard 30 million more words than children from underprivileged families. Longitudinal data on 42 families examined what accounted for enormous differences in rates of vocabulary growth. Children turned out to be like their parents in stature, activity level, vocabulary resources, and language and…

A review of 20 independent samples found a wide range of school and student variables influence the use of administrative discipline contacts, whereas administrator/teacher and family variables have less influence. Relevant variables include participation in athletics, child neglect, antisocial behavior, and anecdotal suspension report. (Contains…

Examines the sociocultural context of delinquency in one country and the rehabilitation of youthful offenders within the nexus of the extended family system. Assesses the impact of colonization on the system of juvenile justice and shows that juvenile delinquency is very low. Makes numerous recommendations regarding juvenile justice. (RJM)

A study examined the relationship among family life events, appraisal, and family protective factors in predicting behavioral outcomes in 260 children (ages 8-12). Results indicate that higher levels of personal growth and more positive family relationships appear to increase internalizing behavior as negatively endorsed family stress events…

Explores correlates of academic giftedness for eighth graders, using data from the 1988 National Education Longitudinal Study. Students who are self-reliant, spend more time on homework and leisure reading, and come from families with high parental educational aspirations and family socioeconomic status are much more likely to be academically…

This study examined the power of nonshared environment to differentiate adolescent monozygotic twin development and the extent to which this power varied across social structural contexts. Findings indicated that differences in maternal closeness, teacher bonding, and religious participation differentiated twins on emotional distress. Family…

A study involving 152 college students with deafness found students who had at least one parent with deafness and signed scored significantly higher on self-esteem measures than those with hearing parents who could or who could not sign. Overall, self-esteem scores for all respondents were high. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

A study of 27 students with deafness raised by hearing parents who advocated a strict oral approach, 22 students with deafness who used Israeli Sign Language, and 39 controls, found both the controls and participants with prelingual deafness who were trained to communicate orally recoded visually presented target words phonologically. (Contains…

This article examines the phenomena of overrepresentation in light of the diversity of Asian subgroups using disaggregated data from one large urban school district with a high enrollment of Asian and Pacific American students. Data suggest differences in identification rates among subgroups. Literature-based explanations are offered for over and…