A study conducted with 105 university students investigated the effectiveness of using previous research findings as a means of teaching students how to interpret verbal and nonverbal behavior (decoding). Practice may be the critical feature for training in decoding. Research findings were successfully converted into educational techniques. (SLD)

Examines the validity of the Strange Situation procedure for Japanese mothers and infants by examining correlates and antecedents of Strange Situation behavior for 60 infants and their mothers. Results suggest that the Strange Situation may not be a valid index of the security of infant-mother attachment in Japan. (SLD)

In an open-ended questionnaire examination of school politics from a teacher's viewpoint, 276 teachers described the control-oriented and protective political strategies of principals. The use of control-manipulative political behaviors by some principals had serious negative effects on teacher involvement and performance and undermined…

The Conners Rating Scale was used to identify psychoeducational, neuropsychological, and sociobehavioral variables in attempting to define subtypes within a population of 95 children (mean age 10.6 years) with learning disabilities (LD) or documented brain damage. Results supported the sociobehavioral component in LD subtyping and parallels…

The question of whether special education students exhibit more learned helpless behavior and a more external locus of control than regular students is examined. The effects of these psychological conditions on school success are considered, and programs for alleviating learned helplessness and establishing a more internal locus of control are…

Research reveals striking differences in college classroom participation patterns across gender, race, and ethnicity. Trained faculty can change these patterns. An American University experimental equity training program illustrated that trained faculty (n=23) were 38 percent more interactive than the control group, giving more precise feedback to…

This article reviews research on three behavioral subtypes of attention deficit disorder (ADD): (1) without hyperactivity (ADD/WO), (2) with hyperactivity, and (3) with hyperactivity and aggression (ADDHA). Children with ADDHA appear to be at increased risk of having oppositional and conduct disorders, whereas children with ADD/WO show symptoms…

A study examined interactional patterns in interviews that characterize elicitation of one text type, description, including type/mixture of questions asked by the fieldworker and the speaker's response. Subjects (n=137) were of three ethnic groups and three socioeconomic levels. Results suggest questioning strategy can have strong, predictable…

Whether there are themes underlying adolescent drug use, and whether these themes are related to age, sex, or type of drug use was studied with 2,637 6th through 12th graders in Oklahoma. Age, gender, and user differences were identified as reasons adolescents use drugs. (SLD)

One hundred Danish adolescents and 133 American adolescents were compared on various aspects of socialization and risk behavior. Overall, socialization was narrower among Danish adolescents, and rates of risk behavior were higher for American adolescents in the areas of driving and minor criminal behavior. Rates of sex without contraception were…

Examines gender differences in parent-child interactions and the similarities of these patterns in France, Germany, and Italy, using 29, 27, and 29 parent-child dyads, respectively. Gender and country differences were found. Although gender generally influences parent and child behaviors, culture modifies the way that these differences are…

Attractiveness ratings of 50 children (26 males and 24 females) aged 12-38 months are studied in relation to adults' socializing behavior and attitude toward them. Correlations between attractiveness scores and child behavior reflect sex differences. A greater impact of attractiveness on girls' development than boys is noted. (SLD)

This survey of nine institutional and community settings serving persons with severe handicaps found (1) in groups managed by one or two staff, staff interactions, and client adaptive functioning improved with decreased group size; and (2) improvement in staff performance and client behavior from addition of staff to a client group was marginal or…

Thirty-six testwise and 41 test-naive high school seniors in British Columbia (Canada) were tested to determine their abilities to apply selected test wiseness principles according to a proposed model of test-taking behavior. To apply the testwiseness strategy, students first needed knowledge of the content tested and test item content. (SLD)

Investigated relationship between sexual risk taking and attitudes toward Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) precautions among Australian nonvirgin college students (n=1,006). Results showed that, although in general young women showed more positive attitudes to AIDS precautions than young men, it was only among young women that negative…