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Showing papers in "Child Development in 1982"


Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: The Perceived Competence Scale for Children as mentioned in this paper is a self-report instrument for assessing a child's sense of competence across different domains, instead of viewing perceived competence as a unitary construct.
Abstract: HARTER, SUSAN. The Perceived Competence Scale for Children. CmILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 87-97. A new self-report instrument, the Perceived Competence Scale for Children, is described. Emphasis is placed on the assessment of a child's sense of competence across different domains, instead of viewing perceived competence as a unitary construct. 3 domains of competence, each constituting a separate subscale, were identified: (a) cognitive, (b) social, and (c) physical. A fourth subscale, general self-worth, independent of any particular skill domain, was included. A new question format was devised which provides a broader range of responses and reduces the tendency to give socially desirable responses. The psychometric properties of the scale are presented for third through ninth grades. Emphasis is placed on its factorial validity. Each subscale defines a separate factor, indicating that children make clear differentiations among these domains. The factor structure is extremely stable across this grade range. The scale is viewed as an alternative to those existing self-concept measures of questionable validity and reliability.

3,796 citations


Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: Evidence is presented that chronic delinquents, compared with nonchronic or nondelinquent individuals, tend to have been children who were antisocial in more than 1 setting, who displayed a higher variety of antisocial behaviors, and who showed an early onset of such behaviors.
Abstract: Studies on the stability of antisocial and delinquent behavior are reviewed, showing that children who initially display high rates of antisocial behavior are more likely to persist in this behavior than children who initially show lower rates of antisocial behavior Evidence is presented that chronic delinquents, compared with nonchronic or nondelinquent individuals, tend to have been children who were antisocial in more than 1 setting, who displayed a higher variety of antisocial behaviors, and who showed an early onset of such behaviors Once high levels of antisocial behavior have been established, youths tend to maintain such levels rather than to revert to lower levels of antisocial behavior Studies suggest that more children drift into higher levels of antisocial behavior than revert to a lower level Patterns of antisocial behavior tend to change during preadolescence and adolescence: the number of youths who engage in overt antisocial acts (fighting, disobedience, etc) declines between ages 6 and 16, whereas in that period the number of youths who engage in covert antisocial acts (theft, alcohol and drug use, etc) increases Implications are discussed for the early identification of chronic offenders

949 citations


Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: For example, Bryant et al. as mentioned in this paper developed and validated an index of empathic arousal for children and adolescents using a subset of items controlling for same-sex versus cross-sex stimulus figures.
Abstract: BRYANT, BRENDA K An Index of Empathy for Children and Adolescents CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 413-425 This study presents the development and validation of an index of empathy for use with children and adolescents 56 first graders, 115 fourth graders, and 87 seventh graders were studied Item means, item total correlations, test-retest reliabilities, correlations testing the relationship of empathy to aggressiveness and acceptance of individual differences, correlations testing the relationship of this adapted index of empathy to other existing measures of empathy as well as to social desirability response set and reading achievement formed the basis of internal, discriminant, convergent, and general construct validation The measure demonstrated satisfactory reliability and preliminary construct validity The study of a subset of items controlling for same-sex versus cross-sex stimulus figures provided the basis for investigating developmental aspects of empathic arousal toward peers of different sexes Overall, the availability of comparable forms of a measure of empathy for use with children, adolescents, and adults will be useful for exploring the developmental antecedents and conditions surrounding the expression of emotional empathy

862 citations


Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: This paper found that parents' perceptions of and expectations for their children were related to both the children's perceptions of their parents' beliefs and to the childrens self-and task perceptions.
Abstract: PARSONS, JACQUELYNNE ECCLES; ADLER, TERRY F.; and KACZALA, CAROLINE M. Socialization of Achievement Attitudes and Beliefs: Parental Influences. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 310-321. To assess the impact of parents on children's achievement self-concept and related beliefs, extensive questionnaires measuring attitudes and beliefs regarding mathematics achievement were administered to children in grades 5-11 and their parents. The potential influence of parents both as role models and as expectancy socializers was investigated. Both mothers and fathers held sex-differentiated perceptions of their children's math aptitude despite the similarity of the actual performance of boys and girls. The difference was most marked for parents' estimates of how hard their children had to try to do well in math. Parents of daughters believed their child had to work harder to do well in math than parents of sons. Parents of sons thought advanced math was more important for their child than parents of daughters. Parents' perceptions of and expectations for their children were related to both the children's perceptions of their parents' beliefs and to the children's selfand task perceptions. Further, parents' beliefs were more directly related to children's self-concepts and expectancies than were the children's past performances in math. Path analysis supported our hypothesis that the children's attitudes were influenced more by their parents' attitudes about their abilities than by their own past performances. Finally, parents as role models of sex-differentiated math behaviors did not have a direct effect on their children's self-concepts, expectations, or course plans.

846 citations


Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: The authors found that biased attributions of aggressive boys may have some basis in their experience, in that they were frequently the targets of peers' aggressive behavior, but their own aggressive behavior toward peers, however, occurred at a much higher rate than the rate at which they were the target of aggression.
Abstract: 3 studies are reported which assess the nature and limits of a known bias on the part of aggressive boys to overattribute hostile intentions to peers. The first study determined that this bias is restricted to attributions of a peer's behavior toward an aggressive boy, and not to attributions of a peer's behavior toward a second peer. Biased attributions were implicated as a direct precedent to aggressive responses. The second study assessed the role of selective attention to and recall of hostile social cues in the formation of a biased attribution. It was found that selective recall of hostile cues did lead to a biased attribution, but that selective recall did not fully account for the attributional differences between aggressive and nonaggressive boys. Also, specific deficits in recall by aggressive boys were identified. The third study involved naturalistic observation of the peer-directed aggressive behaviors of boys in a controlled setting. It was found that the biased attributions of aggressive boys may have some basis in their experience, in that they were frequently the targets of peers' aggressive behavior. Their own aggressive behavior toward peers, however, occurred at a much higher rate than the rate at which they were the targets of aggression. These findings led to the formation of a social-information-processing model of aggressive behavior. Language: en

809 citations


Journal Article•DOI•
Thomas J. Berndt1•

688 citations


Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: The findings do not support the denial of the right of self-determination to adolescents in health-care situations on the basis of a presumption of incapacity, and children as young as 9 appear able to participate meaningfully in personal health- Care decision making.
Abstract: This study was a test for developmental differences in competency to make informed treatment decisions. 96 subjects, 24 (12 males and 12 females) at each of 4 age levels (9, 14, 18, and 21), were administered a measure developed to assess competency according to 4 legal standards. The measure included 4 hypothetical treatment dilemmas and a structured interview protocol. Overall, 14-year-olds did not differ from adults. 9-year-olds appeared less competent than adults with respect to their ability to reason about and understand the treatment information provided in the dilemmas. However, they did not differ from older subjects in their expression of reasonable preferences regarding treatment. It is concluded that the findings do not support the denial of the right of self-determination to adolescents in health-care situations on the basis of a presumption of incapacity. Further, children as young as 9 appear able to participate meaningfully in personal health-care decision making.

632 citations


Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: In this paper, the Max muscular components method was used to detect changes from 3 to 6 months in the type and frequency of infant facial expression. But the results indicated that socialization of affect expression is occurring during early infancy and that the infants' expressiveness is becoming appropriate according to cultural, gender, and familial demands well before the first birthday.
Abstract: This study presents data on changes from 3 to 6 months in the type and frequency of infant facial expression. 60 mother-infant dyads were videotaped during play and reunion following a brief separation. Mothers' and infants' facial expressions were coded using the Max muscular components method. The mothers' verbal responses to infant expressiveness were also analyzed. Infants at both ages display a wide range of expressions and a high rate of change. Mothers respond contingently to 25% of infant changes; patterns of contingent responding varied slightly as a function of infant age and sex. Mothers show more contingent responding to older sons' smiles (vs. daughters' smiles) and follow sons' (vs. daughters') expressions with imitative expressions of their own. The only expressive difference between boys and girls at this age is that girls show more frequent interest expressions. Age-related changes included an attenuation of negative affect and a slower lability of expression change for older infants. The mothers' part in these age-related changes is revealed in the following results; Maternal expressions are limited to positive emotions, especially toward younger infants; mothers show less nonverbal and verbal acknowledgment of older infant expression change and do not acknowledge certain infant negative expressions. Finally, we report mother-infant dyadic similarities in expressiveness, including particular expression types and preferential use of the brow or mouth region in expressiveness. These results indicate that socialization of affect expression is occurring during early infancy and that the infants' expressiveness is becoming appropriate according to cultural, gender, and familial demands well before the first birthday.

631 citations


Journal Article•DOI•
William Damon1, Daniel Hart•
TL;DR: The development of self-understanding from infancy through adolescence is studied in this paper, where a developmental model of selfunderstanding is proposed to identify developmental trends consistently uncovered by empirical studies and presents a chronological account based on these trends.
Abstract: DAMON, WILLIAM, and HART, DANIEL. The Development of Self-Understanding from Infancy through Adolescence. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 841-864. This review focuses on selfunderstanding, the cognitive basis for self-conception. Its purpose is to construct from the psychological literature a descriptive account of self-understanding development between infancy and adolescence. The paper begins by distinguishing self-understanding from other aspects of self-concept, in particular self-esteem. It is argued that a developmental model of self-understanding is a necessary step in the assessment and study of children's self-esteem. Next, the review presents a justification for studying self-understanding separately from other social cognitive achievements (such as understanding other people). With reference to William James's theory, the self as a cognitive concept is analyzed into its diverse components. Empirical studies of self-understanding in infants, children, and adolescents are then summarized and placed within the theoretical framework of this conceptual analysis. The review identifies the developmental trends consistently uncovered by empirical studies and presents a chronological account based on these trends. Finally, the review proposes a developmental model that outlines genetic and conceptual relations among different aspects of self-understanding. This model is extrapolated from the available literature, which is still in a germinal phase; therefore, the model is considered speculative at this point. It is hoped that the model will be subject to further empirical testing in time and will provide a theoretical basis for more precise definition of developmental patterns in self-understanding between infancy and adolescence.

517 citations


Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: Assessments of mother-infant interaction, general environmental quality, and parent perception of the child were among the best predictors at each age tested, and were as good as measures of child performance at 24 and 36 months in predicting IQ and language.
Abstract: 193 basically healthy working-class and middle-class mothers and their infants participated in a 4-year longitudinal study which focused on the relative potency of several clusters of variables for predictions of intellectual and language outcome during the preschool years. The major results were: (1) Measures of perinatal or infant physical status were extremely weak predictors of 4-year IQ or language. (2) Assessments of child performance were poor predictors prior to 24 months, but excellent predictors from 24 months on. (3) Assessments of mother-infant interaction and general environmental quality were among the best predictors at each age tested, and were as good as measures of child performance at 24 and 36 months in predicting IQ and language. (4) Measures of the family ecology (level of stress, social support, maternal education) and parent perception of the child, especially when assessed at birth, were strongly related to child IQ and language within a low-education subsample, but not among mothers with more than high school education. Patterns of prediction were similar for 48-month IQ and 36-month receptive language; predictions were notably weaker for 36-month expressive language.

377 citations


Journal Article•DOI•
John H. Flavell1•
TL;DR: FLAVELL as discussed by the authors found that cognitive development might appear more general-stage-like than many of us believed, if only we knew how and where to look, and that mental heterogeneity may occur because human beings have evolved to cope with certain cognitive tasks earlier or more easily than others.
Abstract: FLAVELL, JOHN H. On Cognitive Development. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 1-10. Does human cognitive development advance through a series of broad and general stages? If so, the child's mind at any point in its development should seem quite consistent and similar across situations in its maturity level and general style. That is, it should be relatively "homogeneous" rather than "heterogeneous" at any given age. There appear to be factors and considerations that make for both heterogeneity and homogeneity in the child's cognitive life. As to heterogeneity, many cognitive items (concepts, skills, etc.) may develop independently; they may not assist each other's development and there may be no common mediator to assist their codevelopment. Likewise, mental heterogeneity may occur because human beings have evolved to cope with certain cognitive tasks earlier or more easily than others. Intraindividual differences in aptitudes and experiences could also produce considerable heterogeneity. As to homogeneity, the child's information-processing capacity may impose an upper limit on how heterogeneous her mental level could be. There may also be more cognitive homogeneity (1) in the child's initial reaction to inputs than in her subsequent management of them; (2) at the beginning and end of an acquisitional sequence than in the middle of it; (3) in spontaneous, everyday cognition than in formal task or test situations; (4) in some cognitive domains than in others; (5) in some children than in others. It was concluded that cognitive development might appear more general-stage-like than many of us believed, if only we knew how and where to look.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: In this article, Parsons et al. investigated the relation between classroom experiences and individual differences in expectations for future success in mathematics courses, self-concept of math abilities and perceptions of the difficulty of math.
Abstract: PARSONS, JACQUELYNNE ECCLES; KACZALA, CAROLINE M.; and MEECE, JUDITH L. Socialization of Achievement Attitudes and Beliefs: Classroom Influences. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 322-339. The relation between classroom experiences and individual differences in expectations for future success in mathematics courses, self-concept of math abilities and perceptions of the difficulty of math were investigated in an observational study of 17 math classrooms for grades 5-9. 2 questions were addressed: (1) Does the sex of the student or the teacher's expectation for the student influence the nature of student-teacher interactions? (2) Do variations in teacherstudent interaction patterns affect student attitudes? Although few sex differences emerged, girls received less criticism than boys, especially low-teacher-expectancy boys, and high-teacher-expectancy females received less praise than other groups. No support was found for sex differences in teacher discriminant use of praise and criticism. Some support was found for more general sex differences and teacher expectation differences in teacher behavior. Multiple-regression analyses, with the students' past grades used as a control variable, showed that teacher behaviors influence children's attitudes but the effects differ for males and females; for example, self-concept of ability for boys, but not for girls, was predicted by relatively high levels of both teacher criticism and praise. In general, past grades and student-teacher interaction variables accounted for a larger percentage of the variation in boys' attitudes than in girls'. In the second set of analyses 2 types of classrooms were compared: classrooms in which boys and girls had equally high future expectations and classrooms in which boys have higher future expectations. Boys and girls were treated differently in these 2 classroom types. The data suggest that boys and girls have equivalent expectations when the relative distribution of praise and criticism within a class across highand low-teacher-expectancy groups is similar for both sexes.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: A review of background influences, current conceptualizations, research methods, and some research findings is provided in CAVANAUGH, JOHN C., and PERLMUTTER, MARION as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: CAVANAUGH, JOHN C., and PERLMUTTER, MARION. Metamemory: A Critical Examination. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 11-28. This paper provides a critical examination of the current status of metamemory. A review of background influences, current conceptualizations, research methods, and some research findings is provided. Several limitations of metamemory are noted. In particular, there is no clear definition of the concept, assessment methods are inadequate, research has not gone beyond a demonstration stage, and a strong relationship between memory and metamemory generally has not been substantiated. Several issues that need to be addressed in a reconceptualization of metamemory are discussed. These issues include new assessment methods, redirection of research, predictions and testable hypotheses about the relationship between metamemory knowledge and memory performance, and the origins of metamemory. Although in its present form metamemory has little utility, a revised analysis of metamemory could have an important influence on conceptualizations of memory.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: RUBIN et al. as discussed by the authors examined the social, cognitive, and social-cognitive correlates of nonsocial play and found that nonsocial-functional (sensorimotor) and dramatic activities generally correlated negatively with the measures of competence.
Abstract: RUBIN, KENNETH H. Nonsocial Play in Preschoolers: Necessarily Evil? CHLD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 651-657. It has been suggested that children who play on their own, without interacting with peers, may be at risk for social, cognitive, and social-cognitive problems. Recently, however, the children's play literature has revealed that some forms of nonsocial activity are constructive and adaptive. In this study the social, cognitive, and social-cognitive correlates of nonsocial play were examined. 122 4-year-olds were observed for 20 min during free play. They were also administered a role-taking test and tests of social and impersonal problemsolving skills. Sociometric popularity and social competence (as rated by teachers) were also assessed. Analyses indicated that nonsocial-functional (sensorimotor) and dramatic activities generally correlated negatively with the measures of competence. Parallel-constructive activities generally correlated positively with the various measures of competence.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: HUBERT et al. as discussed by the authors reviewed 26 temperament instruments, developed to assess temperament at the infant, preschool, and school-age levels, and gave particular attention to instrument content, standardization samples, reliability, and validity.
Abstract: HUBERT, NANCY C.; WACHS, THEODORE D.; PETERS-MARTIN, PATRICIA; and GANDOUR, MARY JANE. The Study of Early Temperament: Measurement and Conceptual Issues. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 571-600. 26 temperament instruments, developed to assess temperament at the infant, preschool, and school-age levels, were reviewed. Particular attention is given to instrument content, standardization samples, reliability, and validity. Psychometrically, most current temperament instruments approached high interjudge reliability, moderate internal consistency, and test-retest reliability; however, stability data are inconsistent and interparent agreement coefficients were low. Validity data which were available showed little convergence between instruments and inconsistent findings regarding concurrent and predictive validity. At present, no single psychometrically adequate instrument is available. Specific instruments may be useful for certain situations. Suggestions are made for future approaches to instrument development in this area.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an alternative formulation intended to resolve some conceptual anomalies in the Piagetian characterizations of assimilation and accommodation, which is based on the dynamics underlying the orthogenetic principle of Werner.
Abstract: BLOCK, JACK. Assimilation, Accommodation, and the Dynamics of Personality Development. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 281-295. The present essay specifies some problems in the Piagetian characterizations of assimilation and accommodation and offers an alternative formulation intended to resolve some conceptual anomalies. The dynamics underlying the orthogenetic principle of Werner are derived from this revised and restricted conceptualization of assimilation and accommodation as separable adaptive strategies. Piaget's views on the development of thought are then related to the domain of personality. Equilibration, according to Piaget the "motive" for cognitive growth, is argued to be a manifestation of the individual's orientation to limit anxiety by maintaining or constructing an understanding of the world that is not disconfirmed. This view of equilibrium permits the encompassment of a variety of observations that otherwise seem disparate (e.g., regarding the dynamics of anxiety, the concepts of resiliency or competence, and sex differences).

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: RHEINGOLD et al. as discussed by the authors explored the possibility that a set of behaviors that could be characterized as helping would be exhibited by young children in a laboratory setting that simulated a home, parents and other adults were asked to perform some common household chores and the children's participation was recorded.
Abstract: RHEINGOLD, HARRIET L. Little Children's Participation in the Work of Adults, a Nascent Prosocial Behavior. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 114-125. 2 studies explored the possibility that a set of behaviors that could be characterized as helping would be exhibited by young children. In a laboratory setting that simulated a home, parents and other adults were asked to perform some common household chores, and the children's participation was recorded. In the first study, 24-month-old children were studied with their mothers and female adults; in the second, children at 18, 24, and 30 months of age were studied with their mothers or fathers and with male or female persons. In both studies the children spontaneously and promptly assisted the adults in a majority of the tasks they performed. Furthermore, the children accompanied their assistance by relevant verbalizations and by evidence that they knew the goals of the tasks, even adding appropriate behaviors not modeled by the adults. Their efforts were construed as prosocial not only because they contributed to the completion of the tasks but also because the children showed an awareness of themselves as actors working with others to a common end.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: It is suggested that dyadic as well as dispositional factors influenced conflictual behavior; the children's tendency to initiate disputes on the fourth day could be predicted from their initiations on the first 3 days for both groups, but prediction of their tendency to yield to the peer's demands for objects was only possible for the group who retained the same partners.
Abstract: The conflicts of 24 pairs of previously unacquainted 21-month-old children were examined for social hallmarks at several levels of analysis. Each child was observed with the same partner for 15 min on 3 consecutive days. On the fourth day half the dyads were rearranged such that each child now was paired with a new partner; the remaining children returned to meet their usual partners. Conflicts were defined dyadically as 1 child's protesting, resisting, or retaliating against an act by the peer; 217 were recorded across the 4 days, 84% of which were struggles over toys. The disputes possessed a patterned interactive structure and explicit communicative content, and 75% of the object struggles were preceded or followed by socially pertinent events. The extent of conflict neither increased nor decreased over days, nor were there reliable differences between acquainted peers on the fourth day. However, the outcome of 1 conflict affected the next; a child who lost a dispute was more likely than the winner to initiate the next. Moreover, the findings suggested that dyadic as well as dispositional factors influenced conflictual behavior; the children's tendency to initiate disputes on the fourth day could be predicted from their initiations on the first 3 days for both groups, but prediction of their tendency to yield to the peer's demands for objects was only possible for the group who retained the same partners.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: It was hypothesized that the effects of low levels of medication are subtle but may be unmasked when medication effects are studied in combination with other factors that may potentiate drug effects.
Abstract: The Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale was administered to 54 term, healthy infants on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 10. Infants were divided into 8 groups of maternal obstetrical medication. A separate drug factor score was computed from 4 variables: time from (1) first and (2) last drug administration to delivery, (3) number of different drugs, and (4) drug administrations. In order to determine the additive effects of drug and other obstetric factors on neonatal behavior, the drug group and drug factor score plus length of labor, parity, and the ponderal index were used in a series of multiple regression analyses to predict Brazelton scale cluster scores on each day. In a second set of multiple regressions, these variables were used to predict the infant's rate of behavioral change as estimated by the slopes of the Brazelton scale cluster scores across the 7 days. The results indicated that the combined effect of the predictor variables significantly explained 10%-28% of the variance in neonatal behavior. It was hypothesized that the effects of low levels of medication are subtle but may be unmasked when medication effects are studied in combination with other factors that may potentiate drug effects.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: The first experiment was designed to test the hypothesis that categorization ability is acquired in the following order: basic, superordinate, subordinate children aged 2-6, 4, and 5-6 were asked to indicate which kind of thing as a standard for sets at each hierarchical level The results supported their hypothesis.
Abstract: MERVIS, CAROLYN B, and CRIsAFI, MARIA A Order of Acquisition of Subordinate-, Basic-, and Superordinate-Level Categories CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 258-266 The present research was concerned with the order of acquisition of the ability to categorize at different hierarchical levels The first experiment was designed to test the hypothesis that categorization ability is acquired in the following order: basic, superordinate, subordinate Children aged 2-6, 4, and 5-6 were asked to indicate which, of 2 nonsense stimuli, was the same kind of thing as a standard for sets at each hierarchical level The results supported our hypothesis The second and third experiments considered 1 hypothesis concerning the basis for the obtained order: the greater the differentiation of categories at a given hierarchical level, the earlier categorization at that level should be acquired To determine degree of differentiation, subjects made pairwise similarity judgments for stimuli used in the first experiment or for members of 2 natural-category hierarchies Because of the complexity of the task, adults rather than children participated Order of degree of differentiation paralleled acquisition order Therefore, degree of differentiation is a possible determinant of acquisition order

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: Between-group differences in mother-child interactions were greatest when comparing dyads with a younger hyperactive child with the other 3 groups, especially during the structured-task situation.
Abstract: The mother-child interactions of both younger (means age = 411) and older (means age = 84) hyperactive children were compared and contrasted with those observed in comparable age groups of normals Interactions were observed in an unstructured-play and structured-task situation Mothers of hyperactives were generally more directive and negative during play and less responsive to child-initiated interactions Hyperactive children asked more questions and were generally more negative and noncompliant during play, particularly younger hyperactives Hyperactives did not differ from normals in their reactions to mother-initiated behavior during play but engaged in less independent activity when their mothers were noninteractive During the structured-task situation mothers of hyperactives were more directive and negative and less interactive and approving, even when their child was interacting appropriately In general, between-group differences in mother-child interactions were greatest when comparing dyads with a younger hyperactive child with the other 3 groups, especially during the structured-task situation

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: Montemayor et al. as mentioned in this paper investigated the relationship between parent-adolescent conflict and the amount of time adolescents spend alone and with parents and peers and found that conflict with parents is associated with a peer orientation.
Abstract: MONTEMAYOR, RAYMOND. The Relationship between Parent-Adolescent Conflict and the Amount of Time Adolescents Spend Alone and with Parents and Peers. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 1512-1519. The purpose of this study was to investigate the widely held hypotheses that among adolescents an inverse relationship exists between parent and peer involvement, and that conflict with parents is associated with a peer orientation. Reports of time use and parental conflict for 3 days were obtained from 64 adolescents through telephone interviews. 3 findings were made. (1) Adolescents spent equal amounts of time with parents and peers but engaged in very different types of activities-work and task activities with parents, play and recreation with peers. (2) Time spent with parents was negatively correlated with peer time for females and time spent alone for males. (3) Adolescents who had disagreeable relations with their mothers spent much of their time with their fathers, not with peers. The results were discussed in terms of the different functions that mothers, fathers, and peers fulfill for adolescents.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: Results indicated that the social image of both male and female smokers was an ambivalent one for both early and middle adolescents, and strategies for middle adolescents should either attack the positive image of the smoker or provide alternative means of self-image improvement.
Abstract: The social image of the smoker may be particularly important for the process of adolescent smoking initiation. With that in mind, the present study had 2 goals: (1) to assess the social image of cigarette smoking among early and middle nonsmoking adolescents, and (2) to determine whether that social image serves to motivate smoking initiation. Based on considerations of self-esteem and susceptibility to social influence, social image factors were predicted to be related to intentions to smoke more for early adolescents and for girls. Results indicated that the social image of both male and female smokers was an ambivalent one for both early and middle adolescents. Smoking models were rated as having many undesirable qualities, but also several social assets. In terms of the relationship of the social image to smoking intentions, early adolescent girls had intentions that were best predicted by the perceived negative qualities of smoking. For middle adolescents, smoking intentions were related to the positive social assets of smoking, especially interest in the opposite sex. These results suggest that prevention strategies for early adolescent girls focus on the negative results of smoking. On the other hand, strategies for middle adolescents should either attack the positive image of the smoker or provide alternative means of self-image improvement.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: Thomason et al. as discussed by the authors found that the security of attachment reflects the current status of infant-mother interaction, and that this is affected by changing family and caregiving circumstances.
Abstract: THOMPSON, Ross A.; LAMB, MICHAEL E.; and ESTES, DAVID. Stability of Infant-Mother Attachment and Its Relationship to Changing Life Circumstances in an Unselected Middle-Class Sample. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 144-148. 43 infants and mothers were observed in the Strange Situation procedure when the infants were 12.5 and 19.5 months old. Following each assessment, mothers completed a questionnaire concerning changes in family and caregiving circumstances over the assessment period. Although the proportions of securely attached and insecurely attached infants were similar at both ages and conformed to previous findings, temporal stability was only 53% for overall classifications and 26% for subgroups. Changes in family circumstances which seemed likely to influence the ongoing quality of infant-mother interaction (such as maternal employment or regular nonmaternal care) were associated with changes in attachment status. However, these influences were associated with bidirectional changes in attachment status. Family and caregiving circumstances were less strongly associated with attachment security or insecurity at either assessment. These results indicate that the security of attachment reflects the current status of infant-mother interaction, and that this is affected by changing family and caregiving circumstances.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: For instance, this paper found that the difference between males and females accounts for a quite substantial portion of the variability of the test scores on the ETS Card Rotations and the Shepard/Metzler Mental Rotations test.
Abstract: Plomin and Foch's conclusion that sex differences in cognition account for very little of the total variability is challenged by demonstrating that, on a complex test of spatial visualization, the difference between males and females accounts for a quite substantial portion of the variability of the test scores. 2 measures of spatial visualization--the ETS Card Rotations test and the Shepard/Metzler Mental Rotations test--were administered to a large sample of college students. The Card Rotations test requires identification of fairly simple abstract forms after rotation within the plane; the Mental Rotations test requires identification of representations of more complex 3-dimensional figures after rotation in 3-dimensional space. Males scored significantly higher than females on both tests. Sex accounted for only 2% of the variance on the Card Rotations test but for 16% of the variance on the Mental Rotations test. Comparable sex differences on the Shepard/Metzler Mental Rotations test have also been found by other investigators.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: The results supported the notion that individual differences in mothers, rather than differences in infants, may be the major contributor to early ratings of temperament.
Abstract: The interaction between the temperament of children and their caretaking environment is thought to be an important factor in the etiology of childhood behavior deviance. Most recent research in infant temperament has used a maternal questionnaire. Scores from these questionnaires have been subject to low concurrent validity. Also, there have been indications that maternal characteristics such as anxiety level influence child temperament ratings. The present study examined mother characteristics, child behavior, and mother's temperament ratings when their babies were 4 months old. The social status, anxiety level, the mental health status of the mother were all related to temperament ratings on the Carey Infant Temperament Questionnaire. However, child behavior measured in the home and laboratory were sporadically related to temperament, and these relations were of small magnitude. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrated that mother effects were powerful than child effects. These results supported the notion that individual differences in mothers, rather than differences in infants, may be the major contributor to early ratings of temperament.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: Strong evidence was found that reading disabilities exist among Chinese and Japanese as well as among American children and the results cast doubt upon the crucial significance of orthography as the major factor determining the incidence of reading disabilities across cultures.
Abstract: A common hypothesis has considered apparent differences in the incidence of reading disability in Asian and Western languages to be related to orthographic factors A reading test was constructed in English, Japanese, and Chinese to assess the validity of this proposal Large samples of fifth-grade children in Japan, Taiwan, and the United States were given the test and a battery of 10 cognitive tasks Strong evidence was found that reading disabilities exist among Chinese and Japanese as well as among American children In discriminating between groups of poor and average readers by means of the cognitive tasks, the combined effects of general information and verbal memory proved to be the most powerful predictors in Japan and Taiwan General information and coding emerged as the most effective predictors for American children The results cast doubt upon the crucial significance of orthography as the major factor determining the incidence of reading disabilities across cultures

Journal Article•DOI•
Brant R. Burleson1•
TL;DR: BURLESON et al. as mentioned in this paper provided an analysis of the effects of age, sex, and communicative situations on several comforting communication skills and found that the number, variety, and sensitivity of comfort-intended message strategies increased significantly with age; subsidiary analyses indicated that these increases were largely monotonic in character.
Abstract: BURLESON, BRANT R. The Development of Comforting Communication Skills in Childhood and Adolescence. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 1578-1588. This study provides an analysis of the effects of age, sex, and communicative situations on several comforting communication skills. 12 subjects (6 males and 6 females) from each grade, 1 through 12, responded to 4 hypothetical situations in which a same-sex friend was experiencing some form of emotional distress. For each situation, subjects were specifically asked to state everything they might say to make their distressed friend feel better. Subjects' messages were coded for the number and variety of message strategies employed and for the extent to which these message strategies evidenced sensitivity to the feelings and perspective of the distressed other. Analyses indicated that the number, variety, and sensitivity of comfort-intended message strategies increased significantly with age; subsidiary analyses further indicated that these increases were largely monotonic in character. Females used a greater number, a greater variety, and qualitatively more sensitive comforting strategies than did males. A situation involving a conflict between a friend and a liked teacher was found to elicit significantly fewer strategies than 3 other situations. These results are discussed within the context of previous research on the development of social cognition, prosocial behavior, and functional communication skills.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: This paper found that children's visual attention to the formal features of a television program was measured and related to their comprehension of central and incidental content, and that older children's comprehension was associated with attending during child dialogue and moderate character action and with not attending to camera zooms.
Abstract: CALVERT, SANDRA L.; HUSTON, ALETHA C.; WATKINS, BRUCE A.; and WRIGHT, JOHN C. The Relation between Selective Attention to Television Forms and Children's Comprehension of Content. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 601-610. Children's visual attention to the formal features of a television program was measured and related to their comprehension of central and incidental content. 128 children from kindergarten and thirdto fourth-grade classes viewed a prosocial cartoon in same-sex pairs. Each child's visual attention to the screen was recorded continuously and later related for co-occurrence with each of 10 formal features of the program. After viewing, children completed a multiple-choice test of 60 items assessing recall of central and incidental story information. Selective attention and inattention to certain formal features predicted comprehension, especially of incidental content. Younger children's comprehension was associated with attending during perceptually salient auditory features, like sound effects, and with not attending during abstract adult narration. Older children's comprehension was associated with attending during child dialogue and moderate character action and with not attending to camera zooms. Central story content presented with rapid and moderate action levels was well understood by both age groups, suggesting the selective use of perceptually salient features to highlight critical messages in the production of children's television programs. Salient auditory features may call attention to contiguous verbal content, while salient visual features may supplement verbal information with images of visual action appropriate for iconic representation in memory.

Journal Article•DOI•
TL;DR: NuccI et al. as mentioned in this paper found that children responded to both moral and conventional forms of transgression by focusing on the intrinsic (hurtful and unjust) consequences of acts upon victims.
Abstract: NuccI, LARRY P., and NuccI, MARIA SANTIAGO. Children's Responses to Moral and Social Conventional Transgressions in Free-Play Settings. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1982, 53, 1337-1342. Observations were conducted of children's responses to naturally occurring moral and social conventional transgressions during unsupervised free play in 10 playgrounds. Findings paralleled results of previous observational studies conducted in adult-governed (school) contexts. It was found that children responded to both moral and conventional forms of transgression. Responses of both the younger (7-10-year-old) and older (11-14-year-old) children to moral transgressions revolved around the intrinsic (hurtful and unjust) consequences of acts upon victims. Children's responses to conventional breaches, in contrast, focused on aspects of the social order (i.e., rules, normative expectations). Sex differences in the usage of specific forms of response to moral and conventional breaches were found.