General/special education secondary teachers (N=183) and nonhandicapped and handicapped students (N=437) were surveyed on perceptions of the importance of social skills in relating to others, relating to adults, and relating to oneself. Discussed are the survey instrument's reliability, importance ratings for skills, and levels of agreement…

Discusses the role of humor in children's social development in the following areas: (1) social interaction; (2) friendship development and popularity; (3) hostility expression; and (4) interpersonal relationships. Argues that early humor development helps to optimize social development. (FMW)

Observed social interactions of 110 Embu children in rural Kenyan community bimonthly between 15 and 30 months of age. Found children who talked frequently, and whose vocalizations were responded to, performed better on assessment measures and showed more positive affect than children who had fewer social interactions or were carried a great deal.…

Examines responses to graphic horror films based on gender and personality variables. Results indicate that responses to horror movies are largely determined by gender-specific rules for social conduct. (MW)

Explores ways in which mothers and their 30-35 month-old children discussed emotional aspects of past experiences. Results suggest that, with daughters, mothers focus more on positive emotions and tend not to attribute negative emotions to the child, but with sons, positive and negative emotions are discussed equally. (Author/MW)

Reviews studies of adult and child response to male and female infants based on preconceived sex stereotypes. Evaluates overall conclusions from studies. Indicates that knowledge of infant's gender is not a consistent determinant of adults' reactions but more strongly influences children's reactions. Considers implications for sex role…

Proposes that internalization as a result of discipline is based on a child's accurate perception of the parental message and acceptance or rejection of it. Mechanisms promoting acceptance are perceptions of the parent's actions as appropriate, motivation to accept the parental position, and perception that a value has been self-generated.…

Examined 28 preschoolers' affective and behavioral responses to 3 potentially problematic peer situations. Results supported a model of social competence which maintains that expressed emotions and understanding of emotions influence social cognition about affective and behavioral aspects of developmentally important peer situations. Social…

Introduces this theme issue by synthesizing findings obtained using diverse methodologies derived from different theories about children's friendships. Comments on the trend away from studying global peer acceptance to studying friendship dyads. Discusses the features--individual, age, and gender differences--of children's friendships. (DR)

Used a teacher rating scale and coded videotaped observations to examine 30 toddlers' emerging social competence in an unfamiliar peer group during a 4-week summer camp. Found a correlation between the prosocial component of the teacher rating scale and observations of children's interactive-functional play and overall rate of interactive play…

Four basic steps for using cooperative learning to teach social skills to young children are discussed, including targeting specific social skills; defining the skills behaviorally; designing and implement the cooperative activities; and processing and evaluate. (DB)

Compared family relationships and the social and emotional development of children in families created by new reproductive technologies with those of natural and adoptive families. Found that quality of parenting in experimental families was superior to that of families with a naturally conceived child. No group differences were found for measures…

The industrial age, by mechanizing production and reorganizing the workplace into large factory units, destroyed a pattern of life that saw living, working, and learning as a single interconnected entity. Conventional schooling, stressing abstract knowledge, has separated learning from the community and world of work. The new, higher order…

Through a formal program offering in-school jobs to students who want or need them, kids at a small-town Oregon middle school can experience various work conditions and apply abstract knowledge to practical problems. As science aides, playground assistants, and groundskeepers, students earn tokens that can be spent for parties, field trips, school…

Seven children (ages 4 to 7) with autism were taught to engage in symbolic play using Pivotal Response Training. Children with autism rarely exhibited symbolic play before training, but after training they learned to perform complex and creative symbolic play at levels similar to that of language-matched controls. Interaction skills also improved…