A study of 31 typical children aged 5-10 engaged in child-to-child social interactions, found joint attention was positively related to age and activity, eye gaze was low relative to joint attention and object engagement, and eye gaze was significantly less than what has been reported for adult-child and adult-adult dyads. (Contains references.)…

A study investigated the effectiveness in increasing social exchanges of embedding textual cues in the photographic activity schedules of three boys (ages 4-5) with autism. After learning to use the scripts, verbal elaborations and unscripted interactions increased. After scripts were faded, interactions continued and generalized to other…

Examines how interviewers can revise questionnaires to minimize troubles in interviewees' responses and to encourage positive, optimistic responses. Discusses psychometrically valid questions, revising scripted text to use yes-no questions, reformulating unclear questions to evoke positive responses, presenting scripted questions as yes-no…

Describes a study of interactional troubles occurring between citizens and 911 calltakers. Analysis of recorded 911 calls, dispatcher notes, training and procedural manuals, and interviews suggests that many routine interactional troubles relate to a mismatch between the callers' and the calltakers' frames of reference and the fact that each party…

Describes a theoretical model for affective social competence to include the three integrated and dynamic components of sending affective messages, receiving affective messages, and experiencing affect. Places the model within the context of previous research and theory related to affective social competence and, for each component, examines how…

Acknowledges that Halberstadt et al. have provided the field with a framework in which to organize ideas regarding affective social competence. Argues for modification of the model to stimulate thinking and further research, addressing points of modification in the areas of regulation as the core of the construct and self-factors influencing…

Investigated whether sustained forms of nonverbal coordinated action facilitates toddlers' generation of verbal discourse with one another. Twenty-four 2-year-olds interacted with an adult, in 2 nonverbal interactive contexts: an imitation game and parallel play. Found that involvement in nonverbal imitation games facilitated toddlers responding…

The Couple Behavior Report (CBR), a scale used to assess behaviors important to maintaining a couple's relationship, was tested with participants from a university Marriage and Family Therapy clinic and couples in the community. Report states that the CBR has several advantages over current instruments in that it is brief, focuses on positive…

Evaluation of social-cognitive skills in 23 young children with autism or other developmental delays found tests involving others' attention were more difficult for children with autism than tests involving others' behavior. However, the typical developmental pattern of first sharing, then following, and then directing attention or behavior was…

Three groups of fifth graders (total n=104) classified as either at-risk and with anti-social behavior/hyperactivity, at-risk only, or controls were contrasted on protective and risk factors from third-grade using multivariate analyses. Seven of eight variables were found to predict group membership including protective factors (e.g., academic and…

The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), consisting of 23 yes/no items, was used to screen 1,293 children. Of the 58 given a diagnostic/developmental evaluation, 39 were diagnosed with autism. Six items pertaining to social relatedness and communication provided the best means of discrimination among children. (Contains references.)…

A study of 94 intact autonomous work groups performing multi-part tasks revealed that group creative performance increased exponentially with the number of highly creative group members composing the group. However, this occurred only when Team Creativity-Relevant Processes within the group were relatively high. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

A study involving 10 mothers and 10 teachers of children (ages 10-14) with disabilities found both groups ranked "to be responsible" and "to be respectful" as the two most desirable characteristics of students with disabilities. Teachers and parents also agreed about the least important characteristics in children's development. (Contains…

A study of the interactions of 27 dyads of children (ages 5-11) in a play-date situation were examined; one dyad member had Down syndrome. Dyads similar in gender, chronological age, and classroom experiences had better quality interactions. Twenty dyads met strict friendship criteria and could be classified as friends. (Contains references.)…

This article examines the key issues of motivation, peer relationships, and identity as they pertain to adolescents with hearing impairments. These issues are discussed within the framework of the social and psychological development of adolescents who can hear and then are connected to research with adolescents with hearing impairments. (Contains…