Analysis of data on 115 British children placed in local child protection registers prior to their 6th birthday found significant relationships between low birth weight, unintended pregnancies, poor health, and developmental problems in infancy and subsequent maltreatment. Also, mothers of registered children were less likely to have reported…

Explains economists' general approach to family behavior and describes how that framework is useful for thinking about families and children. Outlines how economists model parental investment in children. Examines the implications of approach for developmental science. Illustrates this approach using the example of the involvement of children and…

Presents a spiritually based view of needs and potentials of children and youth, from birth through age 21, based on works of Rudolf Steiner, Sri Aurobindo Ghose, and Hazrat Inayat Khan. Focuses on their common vision of the true nature of human beings, the course of human growth, and the desired functions of child rearing and education.…

Argues that research with ethnic minority and subcultural groups is often stymied by measures developed on samples of European Americans. Offers recommendations to help researchers create measures that are sensitive to both the culture and the communities of research participants. Further presents steps used to create measures that are culturally…

In this investigation of the effects of Turkey's early childhood education system on children's development, children in educational preschool, custodial preschool, and home care were studied. Mothers of half the children were trained for two years. Children in the educational preschool and children with trained mothers had the greatest degrees of…

Two models are presented, which depict dropping out as a developmental process that may begin in the earliest grades. The frustration-self-esteem model focuses on school failure and student rejection of or by a school. The participation-identification model focuses on student involvement in schooling, with behavioral and emotional components. (TJH)

Briefly discusses the evolution of children's real and imaginary fears and appropriate ways that preschool teachers and caregivers can help children cope with these fears. (BB)

Children's ability to adopt perspectives and then apply schematic information on-line while listening to stories was investigated in 2 experiments with 59 second graders and 60 fourth graders. Although both subject groups had the knowledge to identify errors, fourth graders were more likely to apply such knowledge on-line during comprehension.…

Maintains that abusive parents are often the victims of child abuse and consequently experience conflict and trauma in development, leaving them unable to make normal adult adjustment to the role of parent. Presents a psychoeducational outpatient treatment model aimed at helping abusive parents acquire skills that they lack as a result of deficits…

Reports on a study of moral judgments in aggressive and nonaggressive children. Assessed moral judgment by presenting the children with stories of moral conflict in everyday life using peer rating. Results showed significant differences according to gender and no constant level of moral reasoning was measured in either aggressive or nonaggressive…

Whether tasks requiring the use of explicit, rather than implicit, forms of memory are sensitive to developmental and individual differences was studied using 15 non-disabled and 15 disabled third graders and 15 non-disabled and 15 disabled sixth graders. Learning disability status and grade level factors significantly affected memory performance.…

Confirmatory factor analysis techniques assessed several structural models that have been reported regarding the construct validity of the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Responses of 885 Black, White, and Hispanic students in grades three-six suggest that the scale's construct validity is a function of content and manner of phrasing.…

Presents results of a survey of 50 dual-earner families whose preschool-aged children entered day care either before six months of age or during the second year of life. Parents reported on their perceptions of day care environment and effects, and on various factors related to personal and job satisfaction. (NH)

Proposes a new theory of self, based on the principles defined by Lawrence Kohlberg in his theory of moral development. The model sets forth self complexity (schemata) and biography (themata) as dimensions of self. Describes normal and atypical development arising from interaction of these components and assesses implications for practice. (KO)

Discusses information technology and its effects on developmental psychology and children's education. Topics discussed include a theory of child-computer interaction (CCI); programing; communication and computers, including electronic mail; cognitive science; artificial intelligence; modeling the user-system interaction; and the future of…