Current understanding of how culture relates to the development of children's gender-related peer preferences is limited. To investigate the role of societal acceptance of gender nonconformity, this study compared children from China and Thailand. Unlike China and other cultures where the conceptualization of gender as binary is broadly accepted,…

Within a language, there is considerable variation in the pronunciations of words owing to social factors like age, gender, nationality, and race. In the present study, we investigate whether toddlers link social and linguistic variation during word learning. In Experiment 1, 24- to 26-month-old toddlers were exposed to two talkers whose front…

Background: Data are limited regarding the prevalence of substance use among adolescents in rural and ethnically diverse communities. This study examined rates and sociodemographic correlates of lifetime substance use among adolescents in Mississippi, a rural state that is the poorest in the country (21.3% poverty rate) and has the largest…

Compares differences between adolescent and older mothers on tests of infant motor, cognitive, social and language development; and first- and second-year abilities. Older mothers were better at predicting emergence of infant behaviors and first-year behaviors. There was no difference between groups in predicting second-year behaviors. (Author/BB)

Provides data on behavioral problems and competencies, identifies differences related to demographic variables, and compares normal children and those referred for professional help. Parents' responses to Child Behavior Checklist items reveal significant differences in socioeconomic status, children's age and referral status. Behavioral problems…

The reliability and validity of three measures of infant temperament were compared in this study. The measures included the revised Carey (1978) Infant Temperament Questionnaire, a version of the Bayley (1969) Infant Behavior Record revised for completion by the parent, and a modified version of Buss and Plomin's (1975) EASI, an acronym standing…

Two levels of stimulus condition were used to determine whether or not the amount of salient information contained in the perceptual stimuli accompanying orally presented "wh-questions" (those including the concepts who, what, where, when, how and why) facilitates children's comprehension. Conditions varied in terms of the number of…

Observed universal and culturally specific features of play conditioned by ecological factors, social class, and gender in India. Found that, although ecological constraints conspired against the urban child's natural propensity to play with joyous spontaneity, there were also conscious community endeavors to create play environments. Children…

LEARNING EFFICIENCY AS A FUNCTION OF DEPICTION, VERBALIZATION, GRADE LEVEL, AND SOCIAL CLASS WAS EXPLORED BY ASKING 384 KINDERGARTEN, FIRST-, THIRD-, AND SIXTH-GRADE CHILDREN FROM BOTH MIDDLE-CLASS AND LOWER-CLASS AREAS TO LEARN A LIST OF 24 PAIRED ASSOCIATES. ALL PAIRS WERE PRESENTED PICTORIALLY BY A STUDY-TEST METHOD FOR TWO LEARNING TRIALS. THE…

This interview study gathered information about the prior knowledge and thinking of kindergarten to third- graders regarding the supply of water, heat, and light to modern homes. Findings indicated that students possessed only limited and spotty knowledge about utilities in modern homes. Within general trends, there was evidence of growth in…

A representative sample of 7-14-year-old young people in southeast Brazil (N=1251) was assessed using standardized parent and youth interviews, thereby identifying an "at-risk" group of young people who met one or more DSM-IV criteria for anorexia and/or bulimia nervosa. These young people were compared with an age and gender matched…

Investigated effects of program auspice (nonprofit versus profit child care), adult-to-child ratios, and class age span on teaching and on preschoolers' social and cognitive development. Found that age, gender, social background, and age span were significant predictors of children's social and cognitive development; adult-to-child ratio and…

A study examined the role of the mass media in the development of people's conceptions about a neo-Nazi march planned for Skokie, Illinois, in 1978. The purpose of the study was to determine whether or not and in what respects different types of people had developed common conceptions about the event and what role the mass media played in that…

Used meta-analytic and narrative procedures to integrate results of 93 evaluations of summer school. Found that summer programs focusing on remedial or accelerated learning or other goals impacted positively on participants' knowledge and skills. Middle class students showed larger positive effects than disadvantaged students. Remedial programs…

Examined whether African American first- through sixth-graders' perceptions of occupational status and their own vocational interests were affected by racial segregation of the workforce. Found that for familiar jobs, children's judgments related to their knowledge of racial segregation in these jobs. Novel occupations depicted with African…