Investigates the relationship between family social status of 1,734 seventh through twelfth grade students in an urban Southern California district and crime or delinquency committed by these students in a school context. Acts of school delinquency are related to school attendance, sex, and age. Discusses reasons for the relationships. (SLD)

Research suggests that primary control increases as humans develop from infancy through middle age and then decreases in old age. To minimize losses, individuals rely on cognitively based secondary control processes in middle and old age. Literature on adult control processes is reviewed. (SLD)

Empirical research on the role of school recess is reviewed. Effects of child-level and school-level variables on recess behavior and the impact of recess on classroom behavior and social and cognitive competence are discussed. It is concluded that recess has important educational and developmental implications. (SLD)

Explores in-group variation in minority educational achievement by studying why a disproportionately high number of young Khmer women drop out of school in the United States. An ethnographic study (over 125 interviews) in metropolitan Boston (Massachusetts) demonstrates the importance of understanding cultural and social-historical influences on…

A study investigated pre-enrollment variables as predictors of 1-year retention of 1,140 first-time students at a community college. Risk of dropping out was associated with lower high school grade point average, 20-24 year age range, part-time attendance, and being a member of an ethnic minority other than Asian. (Author/MSE)

In a survey, 150 individuals evaluated 7 professions on prestige, honesty and ethical standards, importance to society, and interesting and challenging nature of occupation. Overall, university professors were rated lower than doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and clergy; the same as lawyers; and higher than bankers. Respondent income, age, and…

A study investigated developmental differences in children's self-perceptions of masculinity and femininity among 251 girls and 266 boys from grades 2 through 7. Meaningful developmental changes occur during the middle childhood period. Single summary scores ignore variations in gender-typed subtrait and raise study methodology questions. (JB)

Extended career self-efficacy model using ethnically mixed rural high school population and list of occupations known to students and balanced for prestige level. Examined ethnic identity, socioeconomic status, age (grade), self-esteem, and stressful life events. Gender differences were observed in interest and self-efficacy estimates for…

A total of 1,179 urban inner-city high school students were surveyed about drug and alcohol use. The extent of use and relationships among use and sex, age, and grade were analyzed. The results confirm that drug use increases as grade level rises and provide other insights into adolescent behavior. (SLD)

Examines knowledge about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and sexual behavior among 221 midwestern high school and 153 college students. Findings for the 187 males and 187 females studied show that females were more knowledgeable about AIDS and more sexually responsible than males, and AIDS knowledge and level of sexual activity were…

An instrument based on the PRECEDE model was used to assess the effectiveness of a one-period AIDS education program for adolescents. Data analysis indicated significant differences between pretest and posttest scores for knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs for those who completed the program. (SM)

Examined preschoolers', first-graders', and third-graders' responses to questions in which one authority (mother or teacher) permitted a moral or conventional act to occur across contexts and the other authority prohibited the act from occurring across contexts. Found that children's evaluations were a function of the authorities' status, the…

This study assessed 575 students with mild mental retardation in three educational settings. Their loneliness, depression, and social skills were assessed through student self-reports and peer perception of social status. Among findings were that preadolescent students in self-contained classes in regular schools exhibited more loneliness and…

In a sample of 92 children aged 6-13 years this study investigates the normal developmental change in the relation between executive functioning (EF) and the core behavioural symptoms associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention) as well as symptoms often co-occurring with childhood…

In an attempt to devise a methodology for characterizing children's intuitive theories of drug action, 217 children in Grades 1 to 6 were interviewed about how two substances, alcohol and cocaine, cause behavioral changes in their users. Measures tapped both structure (Piagetian complexity of causal reasoning, coherence, and construction of a…