The influence of skill level, behavioral characteristics, and labeling upon the attitudes of 320 members of 12 private tennis clubs toward the participation of individuals with mental retardation was investigated. Attitudes and intentions toward people with mental retardation were positive regardless of label assigned and perceived skill level.…

Cognitive development, egocentrism, and self-esteem were examined in relation to contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, and behavior for 300 high school and first-year college students. Adolescents with higher cognitive development and self-esteem scores had more knowledge about sexuality and contraception and were more likely to use contraceptives.…

Reviews and critiques the ethnic preference research that views minorities' own-group preference behavior as indicative of self-esteem and identity achievement. The assumption that own-group preference is ideal, normative, or healthy is called into question; and an alternative conceptualization is presented that considers age and maturity of the…

Examines the prospects for protecting academic freedom in American higher education, addressing three areas of potential conflict and tension: pressures to divorce the protection of academic freedom from formal tenure systems; increasing regulation of harassment and other forms of incivility in the collegiate community; and academic freedom in…

Evaluated the effects of parent training on mother behavior and the disruptive behavior of eight children. Parent training was conducted within a multiple-baseline design across children. Direct observation, interviews, and standardized rating scales showed improvements in behavior; six-month follow-up demonstrated the stability of changes.…

Examined ways in which 27 urban ninth graders from diverse backgrounds displayed empowering behaviors and attitudes. Students clearly voiced that they were in control of their actions. Schooling in the urban setting often placed these students in classroom environments in which student empowerment was displayed through acts of resistance and…

Investigated the influence of child intellectual/adaptive functioning and maternal sensitivity on attachment security, using a sample of children with Down syndrome. Found a relationship between attachment security in DS related to the interaction of maternal sensitivity and cognitive competence. (JPB)

A study tested the relationship between prelinguistic pragmatic functions and later expressive vocabulary of 58 toddlers with mild to moderate developmental delays. Results indicate that rate of joint attention and rate of communication were statistically significant predictors of later expressive vocabulary. Rate of behavior regulation was not a…

A model of attrition based on theory of approach/avoidance behavior was developed and tested with 262 university students, mostly in their first and second years. The study demonstrated that certain approach/avoidance behaviors affected certain types of academic and social integration more than others, and that integration may be more complex than…

Discusses the use of behavioral assessment for both descriptive and program evaluation purposes. Notes the use of behavioral assessment to study coaching behaviors and their effects on young athletes. Operant and cognitive-behavioral interventions have proven effective in both athletic and psychosocial outcomes. Discusses unresolved issues and…

Examined whether spouses' attributions for partner behavior are related to their behavior by assessing their attributions and observing the problem-solving discussions of cohabitating couples (n=52) in which neither spouse was depressed or distressed, the wife was depressed and both spouses were distressed, and the wife was not depressed and both…

Describes the characteristics of three primary groups of college students: traditional-aged Generation X; nontraditional; and community college. Descriptions cover demographic trends and factors important in each group: consumer mentality; factors related to education, career, and income; behavior patterns; and particular educational needs. The…

Examined the persistence of students (n=937), 24 years of age or older, studying in two- and four-year degree programs by combining data from a survey questionnaire and institutional records. The structural equation model of Cabrera et al. (1993) was adapted for this older population, with identification of three additional variables: career…

Examined the way in which some "awkward" cross cultural incidents between Southeast Asian students and staff at universities in Australia could be interpreted in terms of cultural and individual differences in social rules. Explores the cultural nature of socially acceptable behavior through focus group interviews with 36 students and 28…

Investigated families of children with internalized versus externalized symptoms according to linear and curvilinear conceptions of circumplex model. It was hypothesized that externalized symptoms would result in family being classified as chaotic and disengaged, whereas internalized symptoms would result in being classified as rigid and enmeshed.…