The resource guide discusses applications of personal computers for physically disabled persons. The introductory section reviews how a severely disabled boy has learned to communicate and to play games with his able bodied friends through a personal computer. Part I details systems (such as the microcommunicator and the Handiterm) for…

Stability of child and mother characteristics and the predictability of children's cognitive competence and affective characteristics were investigated as part of a longitudinal study. At 2 years of age, 46 sets of male twins and their parents were observed in the home and were rated for attachment, independence, compliance and conscience on the…

A study of dating behavior by McDaniel was replicated, using a single adult population instead of college undergraduates. The hypothesis stated that recreational dating was associated with peer orientation, low commitment and assertive behavior; that mate selection dating was associated with family orientation, medium commitment and…

This research explored the development of reasoning about persuasion. First-grade, seventh-grade, and undergraduate subjects were individually presented with a hypothetical persuasive situation in which a young child attempts to obtain a toy from various "targets." Pairs of tape-recorded persuasive appeals were randomly presented to each…

Psychosocial theory, based on the ideas of Erik Erikson and Robert Havighurst, is proposed as a useful framework for conceptualizing the potential for growth within the family. Erikson's (1950) eight stage theory of psychosocial development and Havighurst's (1959) concept of developmental tasks are used to take account of the stages of development…

THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PERSONAL-INTERPERSONAL VARIABLES AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE WERE STUDIED. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO DESCRIBE SOME OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS, AND TO DISCOVER PRACTICABLE MEANS OF FACILITATING THE KINDS OF GROWTH WHICH LEAD TO SOCIAL AWARENESS, PERSONAL COMPETENCE, AND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE ON THE PART OF THE COLLEGE STUDENT.…

Evaluative intervention studies which have examined the potential of imaginative play to foster young children's cognitive and social development provide the focus of this literature review. Four criteria were used to select the studies: (1) the study's focus was on the use of imaginative play to foster cognitive growth; (2) the studies were…

This state-of-the-art series is the third of four interdependent monographs under the umbrella title of Education and Socioeconomic Development. Educational indicators are emphasized as part of the social indicators being considered in various countries. This monograph includes a glossary on understanding the language of education and related…

A study involving 39 retarded (24 to 92 months old) and 61 nonretarded (18 to 54 months old) children was designed to determine what fundamental social cognitive skills young retarded children possess, to describe the characteristics and developmental factors of such skills, and to determine whether previous findings on the development of these…

The role of a group facilitator implies observation of the group's interaction and intervention based on these observations within the group. This paper discusses the need for a facilitator to operate from a theoretical frame of reference in group settings that also provides a systematic method of observation. The author discusses category systems…

In this publication, one of a series dealing with economic and social development, references to the literature on human resource development have been organized under nine major subject headings: human resources in economic development, economics of human resources, manpower requirements, rational utilization of human resources, the strategies of…

Having passed through a period of rapid and intense modernization and industrialization in the last two generations, Icelanders still retain the myth of social equality that more properly accompanied the earlier agrarian society. This study looked for evidence of the emergence of stratified social classes and for effects of this class structure in…

In this study of 152 people who are interested in alternative life styles, the author presents some empirical evidence regarding some of the predisposing factors that may influence individuals to reject the conventional monogamous marriage and become attracted to and involved in unconventional relationships. Stressing that the childhood…

This paper presents an integrative perspective on infant development (based on a consideration of developmental data) which focuses on the function of the smile. From the earliest spontaneous smiles of the newborn period to mature smiling and laughter, a central role was revealed for an excitation (tension)-relaxation process in producing smiles.…

This study examined father-infant and mother-infant relationships by observing infants and parents in their homes. The subjects were 20 infants, 10 boys and 10 girls, 7 and 8 months of age. Each infant was visited twice when both parents were at home. All visits were made by the same two persons: a male observer, who maintained a narrative account…