A 4-year longitudinal study of 53 children (ages 7-12 at start) and their employed parents explored self-care arrangements and the children's reactions to them. Variations included range of activities and settings, extent of children's after school responsibilities, social support and children's interpretations. (MT)

Examines variation in the quotative system of a group of 23 preadolescents. Explores how variation in reported speech is used particularly by female speakers in their creation of performed narratives, which communicate affective involvement with retold events, and simultaneously seek the engagement of addressees who are invited by way of…

Used hypothetical vignettes to examine 384 preadolescents' understanding of gossip in varying circumstances. Found that children correctly labeled talk about nonpresent others as gossip and considered it inappropriate. Skepticism was higher for gossip than for firsthand information and was greatest with cues suggesting that speakers were…

Argues that children's life experiences as members of families, schools, and the wider society provide understandings that must be taken into account if they are to appreciate the principles and purposes that underpin democratic practices. Investigates the perceptions of children (n=27) on their constructions of power and politics. (DAJ)

Discusses a case study that investigated situational mechanisms of peer group interaction in collaborative activity. Aims to highlight the processes and conditions for meaning-making and to characterize the relationships of social and cognitive processes in peer-mediated collaborative learning. Explains that twelve year olds (n=20) participated in…

This study assessed effects of a procedure to train two therapists and a college intern in the techniques of incidental teaching. Training took place in a community-based group home serving five autistic children. The training procedure promoted generalization of skills across materials, settings, children, and group size. (Author/PB)

Used data from Pennsylvania Early Adolescent Transitions Study to assess how objective physical attractiveness (PA), indexed by appraisals from others, and subjective PA, indexed by self-appraisals, related to each other and to early adolescent adjustment. Findings indicated low relationship between objective and subjective PA; only subjective PA…

Evaluated impact of methylphenidate on social behavior in 25 boys with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Compared children given placebo, low, and moderate dosages of methylphenidate and 15 boys without problems in attention and behavior during naturalistic summer research program. Medication decreased noncompliance and physical and…

A model for understanding reading, containing three components (orthographic/phonological, morphological, and sentence and paragraph comprehension) was tested with 298 preadolescent readers. Maximum likelihood analyses showed that the model provides a good fit for the grade 4 data, a reasonable fit for grade 5, but was less unambiguous for grade…

Investigated relationship between anxiety and self-esteem of a group of middle school children, many of whom were Black. Findings from 53 sixth and seventh graders support hypothesis that there would be significant inverse relationship between measures of anxiety (state and trait) and measures of self-esteem of preadolescent students. (NB)

A six-year study investigated relationships between individual development and: (1) changes in aggressive expression; (2) continuities of aggressive behavior in girls and boys; and (3) convergence between self-concepts and social attributions of others in ontogeny. Participants were 220 fourth grade students who were followed from childhood…

Discusses the Early Adolescent Helper program, which was designed to provide a safe and positive after-school environment for young people. In this program, 10- to 15-year-olds serve in day care, Head Start, latchkey programs, and at senior centers. (RJC)

Analysis of data from the 1958 Philadelphia Birth Cohort Study indicates that individuals who dropped out from delinquency were less likely to renew their involvement with crime as adults regardless of race, socioeconomic status, gender, or particular dropout period. (FMW)

Analyzed the development of control orientation in 127 adolescents of 11-13 years and the relation between control orientation and mothers' child rearing practices. Results showed differential relations between child rearing practices and locus of control. Perceived internality increased and chance control decreased in early adolescence. (RJC)

Investigates the relationship between decision-making skill and health-promoting behavior among American Indian youth. Findings indicate subjects trained with role playing and question and answer discussions demonstrated knowledge of the decision-making process significantly superior to untrained controls. Concludes that drug prevention education…