This study investigated the discourse strategies used by native speakers of Turkish in carrying out speech acts of correction and disagreement to status-unequal interlocutors. Focus was on: (1) the politeness markers preferred for softening the impact of words in face-threatening speech situations where the interlocutor corrects the mistake of an…

A study determined the impact of a literacy program including social cooperative literacy experiences on literacy achievement of first-, second-, and third-grade children. Treatment in the experimental groups, which consisted of 204 children from 3 first-, 3 second-, and 3 third-grade urban classrooms included designing classroom literacy centers,…

This study surveyed political values, attitudes, and behavior of Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans in the United States. This report describes U.S. Latinos as foreign-born, native (U.S.)-born, non-U.S. citizens, and U.S. citizens. The study used a household, in-person survey, in English or Spanish (interviewee's choice), of 1,546 Mexicans, 589…

This study examines the relationship between the typical activities and social involvement young children experience in Singapore day care centers and the children's language development. Cognitive, physical and domestic activities and social involvement were observed in 16 day care centers and recorded using the Target Child Method of…

Follow-up case studies conducted at 11 sites across the country concentrated on the role of Head Start in the lives of children and their families and in the students' progress in school. Major research questions addressed were: (1) What have been the life experiences and patterns of children and families from Head Start? (2) In what ways have…

This study examined the effect of a social skills training intervention on the behavior of 18 noncompliant second graders who exhibited poor study skills and experienced academic failure. Teachers selected students for intervention and rated them on the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist before and after the intervention. Pre- and post-test…

An observational case study was conducted during a 6-month preiod in an effort to determine whether teachers of 4-year-old children had expectations for their students' social behavior and academic performance. Students were in the prekindergarten program of a private child care center. The study also examined the ways in which expectations were…

The methodology for validating assessment techniques in a performance-based liberal arts curriculum was studied at Alverno College. Methods for validating a generic competence instrument that measures "social interaction" were investigated. A generic instrument is defined as one that assesses a competence level across content areas…

Research on helping behavior has focused on help to elderly individuals rather than help by elderly individuals. To investigate the determinants and consequences of helping by older adults, 117 adults, from five Detroit senior citizen residences, with a mean age of 75.6 (67 percent female) completed a personal/demographic questionnaire, including…

A total of 23 American and Hmong-American preschool children from 2 day care center classrooms were observed during free play in an effort to determine the proportion of positive, negative, and neutral initiations made to peers as a function of sex and cultural background. A series of weighted, two-way analyses of variance were performed on…

A study examined the degree to which members of different ethnic groups--Whites/Anglos, Hispanic/Latinos, Asians, and Blacks--vary in (1) the reasons they adopt for communicating or not communicating with strangers, (2) the situations in which they choose to interact with strangers, and (3) the types of strangers with whom they feel comfortable…

The exploitation of human and physical resources in the 1950s and 1960s to maximize economic and technological expansion has brought about an enhanced awareness of their negative consequences and of the importance of the environment on human well-being. This study focuses on the need for an assessment of an individual's capacity for living in…

An overview of some of the recent developments in experimental research on early infantile autism considers related issues such as language impairments, cognitive and affective deficits, nonverbal communication, social behavior, and therapeutic interventions. Research indicates that difficulty with abstract use of language and with pragmatic…

Traditionally, group research has focused on outcome rather than process. In order to provide an efficient means of data collection and analysis in group process, the Automatic Vocal Transaction Analyzer (AVTA) system was developed to generate an objective chronography of conversation vocalizations, pauses, turntaking, switching, and…

This study was designed to provide a detailed description of toddlers' social interactions in day care settings and to identify variables that promote positive encounters among children. Twenty-four toddlers, ranging in age from 17 to 28 months, were each observed for approximately 4 hours during regular center activities. Across all center…