The relationship between empathy and style of leadership was investigated. Small groups of undergraduates were assessed for predictive and perceived empathy and for leadership style. Multiple regression analysis indicated that predictive, but not perceived, empathy was a significant predictor of leadership style. Other components of leadership…

Findings suggest that cognitive complexity plays an influential role in the development of children's ability to provide accounts for conversational deviance, as well as their ability to provide alternative strategies for the completion of conversations disrupted by improper turn-taking. Social perspective-taking and communication adaptation…

Suggests that role playing can offset problems in teaching values clarification and moral reasoning at the elementary school level. Because role playing relies heavily on activity, it circumvents the problem of having a dilemma dealt with by discussion only. Role playing also allows students to take the perspective of others. (Author/KC)

The president of Association for Specialists in Group Work, a counselor trainer, and a consultant on group counseling, reported questions most often asked and framed responses mindful of beginning and practicing group counselors. Answers cover such topics as group size, selection, emotions, roles, leadership and other areas. (Author/CMG)

Role-taking ability and level of moral development were measured in three groups of boys and girls including 16 moderately retarded adolescents (mean chronological age 15; mean mental age 9), 16 nonretarded adolescents matched for chronological age, and 16 nonretarded children matched for mental age. (CM)

Two studies (one cross-sectional and one longitudinal) examined the relation between two developmental trends in play during the second year of life: the emergence of decentered acts, and the integration of separate acts into simple sequences. Subjects were infants aged 13, 19, and 24 months. (CM)

Investigated how empathy ratings using the Empathic Understanding in Interpersonal Processes Scale were affected by conditions under which ratings were made. Empathy ratings should be sensitive to the rater's knowledge of to whom and what the counselor is responding. This was not so. Validity of the scale was questioned. (Author/BEF)

Thirty four- and five-year-old children were tested in a spatial perspective task employing a production format. It was found that the subjects' performance was affected by the position of the observer relative to the subject, as well as by the type of view the subject was required to generate. (MP)

Urges writing teachers to encourage revision and peer reading of drafts of papers so that students will know the processes writers go through to meet the requirements of the strangers who read what they write. (DD)

Examines issues related to theory and instructional systems design: the utility of theory; differences between descriptive (scientific) and design (goal-oriented) theories; the value of multiple theoretical perspectives; the inadequacy of current instructional design theories; and new directions needed in instructional theory, emphasizing the…

Introduces the idea of usability as a guiding principle for the successful design of sustainable and scalable science curricula. Presents a framework for examining usability in school contexts. (Author/SOE)

This study investigated how 15 preadolescents and adolescents with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) performed on false belief tasks that included social inferencing of psychological states as well a logical inferencing of physical states. Unlike the control groups, the ASD group performed better on the social inferencing tasks and use of a prompt…

Had children draw two blocks arranged in depth, and then moved either child or array and had children draw what was then a left-right arrangement; the transformation was then reversed for a final drawing. Found that when children moved to a new standpoint, there was a significant increase in vertical portrayal (as depth portrayal) between first…

Addresses the concept of "Standardized Tests as Quality Control." Discusses the types of assessment used in today's schools and the need for a new perspective concerning assessment. Outlines a different perspective for assessment, one based on reflective inquiry rather than measurement. Explains the characteristics that have helped…

Comparison of autistic with nonautistic mentally retarded youth on three role-taking tasks and three measures of social competence found the autistic group deficient on each of the social competence measures and one of the role-taking measures. (Author/DB)