Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the effects of a differential-learning program, embedded in small-sided games, on the creative and tactical behavior of youth soccer players. Forty players from under-13 (U13) and under-15 (U15) were allocated into control and experimental groups and were tested using a randomized pretest to posttest…

We consider group decision-making on an optimal stopping problem, for which large and stable individual differences have previously been established. In the problem, people are presented with a sequence of five random numbers between 0 and 100, one at a time, and are required to choose the maximum of the sequence, without being allowed to return…

This study aimed to examine when children come to distinguish between the private affairs of an individual and the group's matter in relation to group decision making and whether there are any differences between Japan and England in learning the distinction. In total 217 children aged 8, 11, and 13 years, and undergraduates participated in the…

Findings suggest that extroverts are more likely to be susceptible to behavioral contagion, i.e., spontaneous imitation of another's behavior, than introverts. (Author)

The main purpose of this study was to shed some light on the effect of socialization context (home vs. orphanage) on gender-specific value acquisition. With this aim value preferences and collectivistic attitudes of institution-reared and home-reared teenagers (14-20 yrs.) were compared. Teenagers from ordinary homes were found to score high on…

Derives and tests hypotheses from three perspectives on citizenship (postnational, multicultural, and national) with data on the claims making of migrants and ethnic minorities in Britain and Germany from 1990-95. Shows that migrant claims making is forged in the image of a particular nation-state. (CMK)

Outcomes of fantasy play training were compared with those of nonfantasy/skills training in English nursery classes and play groups. Children receiving fantasy play training engaged in cooperative play more than did those receiving skills training, played more often in larger subgroups, and were more physically active. Most effects were present at…

Presents a study that investigated whether the presence of a group goal would reduce social matching. Reports that when there was no specific goal, the participants matched their own performance to the performance that was expected of other group members. Include references. (CMK)

Part of a longitudinal study of women and their first-born children who have different employment and day care experiences during the children's first three years of life, this study focuses on the socioemotional development of children at 18 months of age, who had received at least nine months of continuous day care. Particular attention is given…

A study examined the phenomenon of burnout in social service agencies, approaching burnout as a symptom of organizational communication patterns rather than a characteristic inherent in or developed within a particular individual. Sixteen working teams (defined as three or more people in a person-oriented service, who are perceived as a team by…

The spoken language occurring when primary school children work in groups at the computer was examined. Findings suggest that discourse accompanying highly structured software conforms well to the initiation/response/follow-up (IRF) structure, with the computer often taking the initiating role. The more open-ended the program, the more…

This study was conducted to determine the significance of physical activity in the lifestyles of a selected group of female adolescents. Two groups of girls in their mid-teens, identified through a pilot study, were operationally defined as activity seekers (N=14) and non-activity seekers (N=14). In order to determine the characteristics of both…