Describes 2 studies in which experienced and inexperienced preschool teachers were observed during children's free play periods. It was suggested that inexperienced teachers tend to go along with children's play perferences, while experienced teachers direct the children into activities they consider more important to academic success (i. e.,…

Results suggested that preschool age siblings may facilitate mastery of the object environment by infants. (Author/JMB)

A laboratory analogue of naturalistic observation was used to examine the relationship of observer drift to instructional set and experimenter status. Results indicated a highly significant decrease in observer reliability coinciding with the shift from training to data collection. (ST)

Degree of organization in presenting stimuli, and training through modeling versus guided practice, were studied on a dial-reading concept using 144 third or fifth graders. (ST)

Results indicate that the test-retest stability of the DDST is quite satisfactory for a screening test. (Authors/MB)

Forms and functions of social comparison verbalizations were studied among preschoolers in a naturalistic setting. Each social comparison statement was coded into content (ability, possession, status, attitude, activity) and function (diffentiation/similarity, cognitive clarity, evaluative, competitive) categories. Results indicated preschoolers…

The effects of peer familiarity on social interactions were studied by observing pairs of preschool children who were either familiar or unfamiliar with each other in 50-minute free-play sessions. (CM)

Preschool children were rated in a variety of classroom situations to determine if they displayed consistent behaviors within and across settings. Each assessment was based on a 15-minute observation of the child. Results suggest that enduring response patterns can be identified, but only in relation to particular situations. (Author/CS)

Toddler children and their parents were observed in their homes using an observation checklist. Parent behaviors were categorized as positive, negative, or neutral, and parental reactions to specific child behaviors were examined to determine if the sex of the child or the actual behavior influenced the type of parental reaction. (Author/JMB)

This study analyzed the social interaction sequences and behavioral components of social interaction in two toddler playgroups across a 7-month period. Playgroup number 1 was composed of 6 male toddlers aged 1 year and playgroup number 2 was composed of 6 male toddlers aged 16 months. (JMB)

Examines the tendency of observers to make less reliable recordings of behavorial events when a calibrating observer is absent. Using four different multicategory systems, 26 experienced observers coded 200 hours of videotaped family interactions. Concludes that observers lapse into a less attentive "set" prior to coding without a…

Observations of parent-child interaction indicate that mother's positive feeling is correlated with her child's sociability, curiosity, attentiveness, manipulation, and offering information. (AJ)

Presents data using an observational technique, APPROACH, which describes the behaviors of young children in naturalistic social situations. (WY)