If the instructor carefully plans for formation of small groups and the writing sessions, group writing in a business communications course offers such advantages as rapid feedback, peer response, and a variety of evaluative comments. Small group sessions in composing, evaluating, and synthesizing are described. (MF)

Children aged 5-11 were asked to compare identical moral acts involving a grown-up or a friend. Contrary to Piaget, there was no evidence of an increasing solidarity among peers to the extent that, for example, children think it worse to lie to a friend than to an adult. (Author)

This essay attempts to describe how age relations are important to the social behavior of preschool children. Major behaviors examined are sociability, friendship, aggression, and dominance. Imitation, cognitive development, social cognition, nurturance, and prosocial behavior are also briefly considered. (Author/SJL)

To increase the social responsiveness of two severely retarded and withdrawn children (six and ten years old), a five-year-old mildly retarded peer was trained to emit social approach behaviors using a procedure in which edible reinforcement was delivered by the trained peer contingent upon positive social response by the target subjects.…

A senior center activities program was made accessible to nursing home patients through a project called Centercare. Nursing home patients (N=144) from seven different institutions made 4370 senior center visits over a 33-month period. Project results indicate a senior center can successfully provide the institutionalized elderly with social and…

James Coleman's theory of high school leading crowd is tested. Changes over the school year are measured for students at Newlawn High, a suburban, working-class school, using data from Coleman's "Adolescent Society" study. (Editor)

Understanding the spirit and philosophy of open education constitutes the most important ingredient for successful adaptation to an open classroom; teachers need training and retraining before implementing an open classroom. (JD)

In this study, children became more negative in their attitudes toward handicapped peers after group discussion but did not change their views on normal-appearing children. (MM)

Tested the individual characteristics and deviant peer association theoretical models of friends' influence on the development of delinquency in disruptive boys. Found that moderately disruptive boys with aggressive-disturbing friends were more delinquent at age 13 than other subgroups of moderately disruptive boys. Highly disruptive and…

A study compared moral reasoning patterns of 17 violent children (ages 10-13) with emotional and behavioral disorders and their aggressive parents to matched controls. When presented with family and peer violence scenarios, the violent children and parents referred more to rules prohibiting provocation rather than to rules prohibiting physical…

A study investigated the interplay among language, culture, and disability in 112 children in inclusive preschools. Results found a lack of language goals on Individualized Education Programs, interaction of language with disability, the influence of communication skills on peer interactions, and the need for more training for service providers.…

This study used the Harter Self Perception Profile for Adolescents and an interview technique to study the self- concept of 25 gifted adolescents during the transition year in a congregated (grouped) classroom for high ability students in secondary school. Test results indicated improved self- concepts, and interviews indicated the students…

This study compared the ongoing levels of naturally occurring behavior in 32 typical preschool-aged children and 32 children with autism. Results are discussed in terms of implications for establishing early social intervention goals for children with autism. It concludes that key peer-related behaviors must be assessed across time and activities…

An Importance of Goals Scale was developed from item responses of 230 Australian high school students and validated through administration to 80 delinquent, 90 at-risk, and 90 non-at-risk adolescents. Findings identified differences among the three groups, which are discussed in terms of implications for academic achievement, peer relations, and…

Investigated effects of age, gender, and peer social status on children's understanding of emotional regulation. Found that children would less openly express negative than positive emotions. Predictions of peer reactions to emotional expressions depended on type of emotion and expression. Girls anticipated more negative peer reactions than did…