Two studies investigated the maintenance of focused attention in the first five years of life. Findings revealed changes over age in the way children concentrate and sustain attention spontaneously during free play. Results point to possible developments underlying the increasing duration of focused attention. (RH)

A developmental approach to teaching about aging can help make students sensitive to the needs of the elderly. Such an approach emphasizes individual differences in the aging process and the uniqueness of personal experience, helps student experience physical changes of aging, and encourages attitude change through interaction. (SK)

Investigated development of altruism in children according to a theoretical perspective that integrated Piagetian micromodels accounting for change from preoperational to operational stages. Subjects were 90 children of 5-12 years of age. Older children were more likely to consider an altruistic act in terms of gain construction than cost…

Presents the work of Bronfenbrenner as providing a framework within which the subject matter of human development can be organized and applied. The relevance of Bronfenbrenner's ecological perspective, and implications of adoption of that perspective with reference to studies of families and learning environments, are discussed. (PCB)

Applied two-step cognitive model to relationship between age and creative productivity. Selected ideation and elaboration rates as information-processing parameters that define mathematical function which describes age curves and specifies their variance across disciplines. Applied non-linear estimation program to further validate model. Despite…

Describes personal development as a process of individuals acting and reflecting on the world and themselves. Discusses practical issues faced by facilitators in setting up and running self-development groups; focuses on the structure of the process; and presents guidelines. (JOW)

Examined the disruption effect in two recall experiments with six- and eight-year olds. In the first experiment, vivid irrelevant actions were better recalled than disruptions that were obstacles, but were not better recalled than disruptions that were distractions. Results of the second experiment suggest that disruptions that lead to more…

Describes constructivist analyses of women's accounts of transitions to lesbianism after at least 10 years prior heterosexual experience. Examines the creation of contexts in which sexual identity transitions become possible and details the development of lesbian identity posttransition. (MDM)

The appropriateness of the metaphor of the purity of data is questioned, using a perspective based on L. S. Vygotsky's idea of the zone of proximal development and its emphasis on a genetic method in which development is mediated by cultural tools and signs. (SLD)

Seeking a shared language instead of shared convictions reduces the temptation to think of professional ethics as the transmission of ethical rules instead of a shared way of thinking through ethical issues. Instruction in professional ethics can help people learn sophistication in public moral discourse. (SK)

Explains that cultural practices appeals to developmental researchers as a construct that contextualizes development and provides a way of bringing together thinking, doing, feeling, and becoming. Describes five propositions in general terms and offers an indication of how the concept of practice has been translated into research. (BAC)

Reflective journal writing helps individuals garner information about themselves and construct larger meanings. Techniques include freewriting; list making; describing one-minute in-depth, writing dialogues; and envisioning the future. (SK)

Four texts were analyzed using Burke's model for explicating dramatic experiences: Bennett's "Clayhanger," Lawrence's "The Rainbow," a biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Blythe's "Akenfield." Analysis shows how vocational exploration is a form of personal project during which individuals socially construct…

Navigation exercises in the outdoors involve interactive team skills; individual assessment of self-confidence, competence, and esteem; and leadership skills. Learning goals include planning, managing a team, handling information, allocating individual objectives, making decisions, and attending to accuracy. Provides facilitators with instructions…

Forty-four males and 40 females completed an adaptation of the Linear Arousal and Stress Scale after a 1-day rafting trip. Men showed higher base levels of anxiety than women. Anxiety and arousal increased significantly prior to the first rapid. Levels of anxiety and arousal during this adventure activity changed constantly as different situations…