Discusses two aspects of a conceptual framework for examining the unique developmental significance of friendship. Presents findings from longitudinal study of preadolescent peer rejection and friendship status as predictors of adjustment in early adulthood. (SD)

Examined the relation between close, dyadic, peer relationships and adolescent adjustment. Found partial support for the hypothesized relations between specific friendship qualities and adolescent adjustment, but the pattern of gender differences was opposite of that predicted. (Author/SD)

Five camp counseling styles are discussed: punishment, guilt, the buddy and monitor approaches, and success counseling. Success counseling is preferred because it teaches campers how their emotions, needs, and behaviors are linked to outcomes and how to find a prosocial way to meet the need behind their behavior. The other methods simply focus on…

Thirty adults with mild mental retardation and 50 first-year psychology students were surveyed regarding their sexual knowledge, experience, feelings, and needs. Subjects with mental retardation had less knowledge, more negative attitudes toward sexual issues, and less experience in intimacy and sexual intercourse, but more experience in…

The psychological experience of ejaculation was examined for 188 Nigerian adolescent boys to determine emotional reactions, feelings of preparedness, sources of preexperience information, and the extent of peer discussion after the experience. The experience was not perceived negatively, and boys usually told their friends. Most suppliers of…

Examined the psychometric relationship between two new rating scales, the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) and the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS), for a sample (n=53) of minority kindergarten children using both parent and teacher ratings. In general, results provide preliminary convergent validity evidence for the BASC and SSRS.…

Argues that an understanding of the dynamics of life transitions is crucial to effective adult education programs. Examines the "stage/phase" theory of transitions, maintaining that transitions occur in predictable sequences, and the "life event" theory, which views transitions as the result of social processes. (22 citations) (MAB)

Examines the relationship of 2 dimensions of the theory of social development--vulnerability and protectivity--in 2 samples, schoolchildren aged 10 to 15 (n=1,454) and addictive drug users (n=170). Finds that the most important protective factors act against substance use. Finds that among the predictors of the addicts some forms of escape from…

In two studies, 18 middle school boys with serious emotional disturbances (SED) were taught to use a social skills curriculum to teach more positive peer interactions to peers with SED. Results indicate the desired effects of the peer-based social skills instruction, with some evidence of behavior maintenance and transfer. (Contains references.)…

Interaction with animals has important implications for child development in the areas of social growth and communication. Although pets are common in classrooms, research on educational benefits is scarce. A survey shows that classroom animals are often studied directly and used as prompts for creative activities. (Contains 13 references.) (MLH)

Annual informal conversational interviews (ten years) explore how young adults (N=39) take on responsibility, manage their affairs effectively, develop confidence, integrate and maintain identity, create meaning and organize experience, and make informed decisions in the face of societal demands and challenges. Higher education's role in promoting…

Investigated stereotype variability among 6- and 7-year-olds. In the first condition, an outgroup was represented by adult men for boy participants, and adult women for girls; in the second, the outgroup was defined as opposite sex peers. Participants' descriptions showed that stereotypical traits attributed to the in-group change significantly…

Examined cognitive and socioemotional development of 733 children from age 4 until age 8 as a function of quality of their preschool experiences. Found evidence that care quality has a modest long-term effect on cognitive and socioemotional development at least through kindergarten. Classroom practices related to language and academic skills. The…

This article discusses techniques and instruments that are used when conducting a behavioral, social, and emotional assessment of students with autistic spectrum disorders. Functional assessment methods are described, including indirect methods, direct observation, and experimental manipulation. Instruments used to assess depression and…

A study of 700 children (ages 5-12) investigated whether children's conceptions of and expectations of friendship are determined by chronological age or by mental age. Results found children of differing intellectual abilities pass through the five conception stages of friendship at different ages and at different rates. (Contains 4 references.)…