Six-month and 12-month-old infants were studied for wariness (hesitancy to approach new and incongruous stimuli). Both age groups could perceive differences in stimuli, but only the older infants displayed wariness. (DP)

Infants 21- to 25-weeks-old devoted more visual fixation to novel than familiar stimuli on immediate and delayed recognition tests. The experiments confirm the existence of long-term recognition memory for pictorial stimuli in the early months of life. (DP)

The relative effectiveness of reward and punishment on the development of response inhibition was evaluated developmentally with kindergarteners and second graders. Removal of positive reinforcers was apparently more effective than reward in producing inhibiting at both age levels. Transfer of inhibition training was also evaluated. (DP)

Studied 49 3 and 4 year olds in an examination of the effect of type of reward agent on children's discounting. Findings indicated that the combination of a negative valence and a particular social role accounted for the discounting of intrinsic interest. This suggests that social knowledge guides the application of the discounting schema. (SH)

Describes a study of some conditions which facilitate the acquisition of behavioral chains by young children. Three experiments are presented which concern: (1) overt responses to the internal components of the chain; (2) use of an aversive consequence; and (3) added instructions at the beginning of training. (Author/SDH)

Children's avoidance responses were conditioned and then extinguished in a laboratory analog of a social threat situation. (DP)

In this study, a transfer of stimulus control procedure was used to establish generalized verb-noun instruction-following skills in two severely retarded boys. (Author/JH)

Argues that the world view of contemporary behavior analysis, especially behavior analysis of child development, is contextualistic, not mechanistic. The history of behavior analysis is presented in a revised account that focuses on philosophic movements. Contextualism of behavior analysis is contrasted with mechanism with respect to five core…

Notes advantages of using dynamic models to understand cognitive functioning: (1) they are specifically intended to represent changes that systems undergo as they evolve; (2) they can capture change in a continuous fashion; (3) they can account for development of behavior that appears orderly at times and disorderly at others, and (4) chaotic…

Presents a study which investigated the sources of control over behavior: internal or environmental. Results are discussed in terms of the Theory of Propositional Control. (DP)

Examines the relationship between visual attentiveness, search behavior, and duration of independent mobility for 56 eight-to ten-month-old infants when presented with three versions of the Piagetian Stage IV object permanence task. (HOD)

Age-related differences in imitation and recall were studied in children ranging from preschool to college age. Results indicated that children were more sensitive to vicarious consequences than adults. (ST)

Results indicated that different types of play environment strongly influence preschool children's types of social play and play group size. Differences in cognitive level and social egocentrism influenced the choice of play environment. (Author/DB)

Third and fourth grade children were instructed to share half their winnings from a bowling game under one of three types of verbal appeal: a power assertive appeal emphasizing punishment for noncompliance, an inductive appeal emphasizing contributions to the other's well-being, or a neutral appeal. (Author/DB)