Two components of life orientation emerged in study of 145 men and 142 women at age 26: Positive Orientation (PO), which included self-percepts of personal control over development; and Motivated Questioning (MQ), which consisted of identity exploration and dissatisfaction with present achievements. In comparison with MQ, PO was more strongly…

At age 17, Jaime Pinkham left the Nez Perce Reservation vowing never to return to the poverty and oppression he had experienced there. However, 12 years later, with a college degree in forestry and leadership skills, Pinkham returned home to become the natural resources manager for the Nez Perce Tribe. Includes Pinkham's thoughts on Indian…

This study examined the attitudes of 33 female and 28 male students who had completed a Mentor Connection program in high school. Attitudes regarding the effect of a mentor on the students' lives, career/work focus, personal confidence, skill development, networking, and long-term goals were analyzed. (Author/DB)

Although equal numbers of highly gifted boys and girls are found from early childhood until about age 12, 98% of the preeminent adults are male. This may be because, during preadolescence and adolescence, girls receive societal messages that undermine gifted girls' confidence and motivation. A vigorous campaign is needed to establish gender equity…

Interviews with 60 African American, Asian American, Hispanic, and white women nominated as gifted by professional and ethnic organizations were analyzed. Findings indicated differences in attitudes and experiences between groups and across stages of life. Structural factors (racism and/or sexism) constituted the most frequently named obstacle for…

Notes the dangers of "generic" early childhood curricula. Draws on a teacher's journal to describe letting preschoolers build their own learning from "natural" learning materials--including plastic and cardboard pipes, palm branches, buckets, chains and pulleys--and how the teacher supported their growth. (HTH)

Principal aims of outdoor education at Belper School are to heighten awareness of and foster respect for self, others, and the natural environment. Outdoor education is committed to active learning through experiences that contribute to personal and social development. Running across the school curriculum, outdoor education breaks down subject…

Examined changes in prosocial moral reasoning and gender differences in prosocial reasoning over 15 years. Found that hedonistic reasoning declined and then increased somewhat; needs-oriented and stereotypic reasoning increased and then declined with age. Direct reciprocity and approval reasoning showed no decline into early adulthood, contrary to…

Found that early adolescents use various models to make moral decisions. These include care (wishing others not to suffer), justice (decisions made according to principles), and narrowly concerned or selfish. Males and females used all three modes, with males being more likely to choose the narrowly concerned mode. (RJM)

Overviews the philosophy and theory of camp experiences and discusses the special benefits of camps, including experiences that can lead to significant life-changing outcomes, sound educational goals, a sense of psychological and physical safety, and helping children to deal with social problems such as the degradation of the environment and human…

The sexual victimization experiences of 677 college women were correlated with child and adolescent victimization, family and psychological adjustment, alcohol use, interpersonal functioning, and sexual behavior. Analyses indicated that the chances of being victimized increased with greater severity of previous victimization. (SLD)

Examined the effects of mothers' conversations with their children on children's emergent literacy. Found a clear and fairly strong relationship between maternal conversation and children's literacy, especially for children's print concepts, vocabulary, and story comprehension skills. Children's early conversational participation showed a stronger…

This article on the integral nature of guidance and counseling among services provided to gifted students focuses on: curriculum modification to promote self-realization; use of parent education programs and group counseling; and discussion of gifted females, culturally diverse gifted children, and gifted children with disabilities. (Author/JDD)

Five case studies from the mid-1980s explore changes junior faculty experience as they interact with other faculty in departments and institutions. Findings suggest the interaction between the newcomer's view of social interdependence and that of the department governs those changes. Relationships between gender, socialization, and acculturation…

Psychosocial, psychosomatic, and psychodynamic factors were evaluated in 33 female psychiatric patients who had been victims of incest. Sexual abuse experiences in childhood were related to feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and powerlessness, which, with a lack of support from the mother, led to ego weakness, and an autoplastic model of coping…