Examined and compared the validity of Friedman's Developmental Level (DL) and Exner's Developmental Quality (DQ) as measures of cognitive development in children (N=134). Results supported the convergent and discriminant validity of both DL and DQ. The DL and DQ were most strongly related to different types of cognitive ability. (JAC)

Attention to others' activity increased with age in children ages four to six. Subjects who showed stable gains in performance level across sessions engaged in more observation of others' activity than did subjects who showed only temporary gains. Subjects who showed no gains observed others' activity least. (Author/RH)

Reasons for the development of middle schools and characteristics of middle school students are discussed. Students' physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development are considered, with references to research evidence. (MNS)

Free, spontaneous play provides the child with opportunities to practice problem-solving and language use. Nonetheless, results from laboratory observations of children's play indicate that adults and instructional materials can enrich the play of young children. (PP)

Presents a theoretical perspective for the psychological study of moral development which does not rely on the notion that different types of moral view have different logical structures and which provides a framework for specific predictions about moral content and moral reasoning, motivation, and behavior. (Author/RH)

The study reports the findings of a meta-analysis, the application of statistical methods of data synthesis from individual studies, reviewing 180 studies assessing the efficacy of perceptual motor training. Perceptual motor training was not found to be an effective intervention technique for improving academic, cognitive, or perceptual motor…

Notes that brain research completed in recent years has shed light on the process of learning to read, then reviews that research and makes suggestions about what it means for instruction. (FL)

Describes a study that attempted to ascertain whether there are significant differences in students' attitudes toward the business communications course when the traditional writing method or the word processing method are used. It was concluded that there is no differential effect upon students' attitudes between the above two methods. (NRJ)

Discusses the underlying rationales and goals of the global education curriculum movement in social studies. Global education has become a part of citizenship education involving the development of high-order cognitive skills. (AM)

Examined relation between college students' (N=108) ability to solve simple ratio tasks (for example, their proportional reasoning patterns) and their rule-governed behavior with the balance beam. Also identified modifications in a set of rules for the balance beam tasks. Results and implications for science instruction are discussed. (JN)

Describes growth in the number of studies of behavior development conducted in Japan during the last 20 years and identifies areas of development receiving attention by Japanese researchers. (RH)

Two hypotheses of acquisition of second-language phonology are evaluated in light of data from a six-year-old Icelandic child learning English. The child's phonological acquisition is characterized as a systematic interaction between transfer from the first language and developmental processes. Specific aspects of the interaction are examined.…

Four features of early adolescent friendship have received the greatest attention in the literature: intimacy of conversations, friends' responsiveness to each other's needs and desires, the degree of similarity or complementarity between friends, and the stability of friendships over time. Each of these features and its potential effect on the…

Develomental patterns in the reading and aural skills of 45 preschool, kindergarten, and first grade children, were assessed. Children with increasing reading abilities were progressively more successful in their ability to segment words in both aural and visual contexts. (FG)

The effect of educational television background music on selective exposure and information acquisition was studied. Background music of slow tempo, regardless of its appeal, had negligible effects on attention and information acquisition. Rhythmic, fast-tempo background music, especially when appealing, significantly reduced visual attention to…