Discusses ways to assess patterns of family interactions that influence adolescent career development. Encourages school counselors to investigate the possibility that extremes in family patterns of adaptation, cohesion, and communication may have a significant negative impact on adolescent career development. Timely assessments and interventions…

The summer course selections of approximately 1,500 gifted middle school students were examined. Factors influencing course selection included gender, race, ability, previous educational experiences, interests, and parental attitudes. Parental attitudes appeared to have a major influence in the selection of math and science courses for both males…

Reports results of a survey of 89 graduate students using criteria taken from popular literature describing the adult children of alcoholics (ACOA) category. No empirical support is found for the ACOA category as defined in popular literature (no significant differences in how ACOA students and non-ACOA students responded to items that are…

Reports on a study of the apparently paradoxical absence of background socioeconomic status (SES) effects on school continuation by college graduates. Finds results consistent with earlier studies of SES impact on schooling and explains the absence of parental SES effects on schooling beyond college. (CFR)

Examines public attitudes toward parental discipline practices, incidences of parental practices, the public's support for and involvement in child abuse prevention efforts, and the public's perceptions of causes of child maltreatment. Found that most persons view physical punishment and repeated yelling and swearing at children as harmful.…

Examined the relationship of parental attitudes and parental warmth to child academic skills and self-perceptions of competence. Suggests that although parental warmth was not significantly correlated with parental attitudes about early academics, and neither academic attitudes nor warmth predicted child achievement on an Academic Skills…

Examined differential treatment of siblings in families with a disabled child and other families. Assessed connections between differential treatment, both children's adjustment, and sibling relationships. Results revealed greater levels of differential treatment in families with disabled children but no context differences in the correlations…

Proposes developmental approach to smoking education and prevention for children and adolescents. Reviews literature concerning most appropriate agent, content, and presentation of antismoking education for different ages, concluding that best agents for young children are parents and best agents for pre/early adolescents are peers. For…

Compares three Ohio districts with national trends to identify rural school characteristics that foster extracurricular activity participation. Surveys students, teachers, and community members. Reports student participation levels. Examines attraction and pressure responses, parental influence, at-risk student involvement, and urban-rural…

Study examined the psychodynamic pathways and social processes which place children of alcoholics at risk. Assessments of 63 adolescents in families with at least 1 alcoholic parent were compared to a control group taken from non-alcoholic families. Differences were found in anxiety variables, self-image variables, and aggression variables. (RJM)

Although all African-American children are educable, parent involvement significantly affects their children's educational success. Dilemmas that constrain parental educational choice and involvement with children's learning create barriers to mobilization for expansion of high quality educational programs to greater segments of this population.…

Investigated emotional and facial expressivity in infants who failed to thrive and normal infants who were videotaped in social and cognitive contexts. Although differences in emotional expressivity were not found, infants who failed to thrive displayed more negative effects and used their lower faces less often to express emotion. (Author/BB)

Maintains that early childhood educators can help the South's children increase their degree of literacy by demonstrating that literacy is a lifelong process; by supporting children's families in their literacy efforts; and by becoming an advocate for excellent early childhood education and care. (BB)

Investigated whether academic orientations in the home and school serve as a challenge or a pressure in the development of preschoolers. Subjects were 56 4- to 5-year-old prekindergarten children and their mothers. Although correlations were modest, findings suggested that children may experience early academic and didactic orientations as more of…

Summarizes recent ERIC documents on interpersonal competence among preschool and kindergarten children. (BB)