Claims that the motivation to act on moral judgments is dependent, in part, on one's conception of the good life. Argues that the interest in acting morally may be particularly salient in adolescence and ethical behavior and may be established at that time. Suggests focusing on moral action in educational programs. (KO)

Social-cognitive modes of play and peer responses were observed in two classrooms of 40 three-year-olds, two classrooms of 32 four-year-olds, and two classrooms of 36 three- and four-year-olds. Developmental differences appeared in play patterns in same-age but not in mixed-age classrooms. (TJH)

A study used systematic classroom observation to describe pupil behavior and pupil-teacher and pupil-peer interaction in four classrooms in schools for children with moderate learning disabilities. Results are compared with a previous study of mainstream elementary classrooms. (MSE)

This study investigated "redirects," a procedure in which a teacher redirects a child's communication from the teacher to a peer, as a means to facilitate initiations to peers. Use with four preschool boys with specific language impairment found that most of the redirected initiations received conversational responses from peers. Generalization to…

The social status of 1,053 middle-school students was investigated. Students with learning disabilities received lower scores on teacher rating scales and a self-rating questionnaire, and received more negative and fewer positive votes on a peer survey. For all students, attractiveness and athletic ability highly correlated with positive peer…

The use of graduate student support groups to complement the academic advisor's role and reduce students' sense of isolation is examined, particularly for female graduate students. Intersection of research on collaborative groups for thesis-writing and on gender-related communication patterns is examined to suggest how such groups can be…

Developed peer-led telephone support and advising network for adult learners at one university. Peer leaders (n=22) contacted total of 116 new students with 3 calls each during first semester. Adult learners in telephone program were retained at level greater than those in control group. Two groups did not differ significantly in grade point…

Toddlers in foster care, exposed prenatally to cocaine, were assessed for development, temperament, play behaviors, and adaptive and maladaptive behaviors. Compared to nonexposed toddlers, these toddlers possessed more risk factors at birth and experienced more illnesses after birth; scored lower on conceptual development and higher on expression…

Thirty-two preadolescents were observed in a longitudinal study of attachment and subsequent social development, and case studies of four friendship pairs were conducted. Findings suggest a process model of friendship formation based on repetition of infant attachment history in establishing children's preadolescent friendships. Proposes a 3-stage…

At a time when resources for higher education are scarce and overtaxed, senior faculty members constitute a valuable resource. Interaction with like-minded peers, periodic changes in the nature of the work or the work setting, and administrative and organizational intervention are important strategies for helping senior faculty members stay…

This article reports on several studies that used discourse analysis to interpret the linguistic interactions between students with special educational needs in segregated and integrated settings. Results indicated that integrated settings were characterized by "didactic" interactions, while segregated settings showed "familiar" behavior. (DB)

Explored the role of relationship orientations, gender-related characteristics, and perceptions of friendship quality during preadolescence and adolescence. Results indicated that grade and sex differences are evident in the early adolescent years and are linked to perceptions of friendship quality. Preliminary evidence showed that relationship…

Attempted to identify behavioral precursors of conflict outcomes and to isolate unique characteristics of important conflicts. Results suggest that conflict components were interrelated. Resolutions were associated with outcomes and affective intensity, and affective intensity was linked to lessons learned. Apparently, the salience of an…

School-aged adolescents (n=1,013) were asked to identify a recent and very distressing problem, problem type, and who or whether they asked for help. Most problems related to interpersonal relationships, education, and health. Help-seeking behavior was found to be predicted by problem type and gender but not year level or problem characteristics.…

Using a set of qualitative measures, 12 regular children in kindergarten and 12 regular children in grade 3 were asked to express their attitudes toward 3 same-age peers with special needs (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or learning disabilities). Results indicated that the kindergarten children were more accepting than were the grade 3…