Examined the spontaneous pretend play of mothers and children from the inception of pretend play in late infancy through its elaboration during the preschool years. Suggests that although mothers and young children had different primary motives for initiating pretend play, they both capitalized upon the others' interests in, or support of, pretend…

Considers the bases of criticism of parent report as an index of their children's behavioral development and ways in which problems associated with parent report were addressed in the construction of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs). Examines the nature of responses elicited from parents as they complete the CDIs. (BC)

Two children with autism, aged 10, were exposed to peer-implemented pivotal response training (PRT). Typical peers implemented PRT strategies by modeling, role playing, and didactic instruction. Both children with autism maintained prolonged interactions with the peer, initiated play and conversations, and increased engagement in language and…

Seventy-five 4-, 6-, and 8-year olds participated in a study examining the relationship between children's awareness and use of strategies for self-control. Knowledge of strategies was more highly correlated with process than with performance, and the relationship between knowledge about strategies and actual performance increased with age. (AA)

Studied the effect of short-term exposure to neutral, prosocial, and antisocial toys on the prosocial and antisocial behavior of preschool children. Found that prosocial toys elicited prosocial behavior and antisocial toys stimulated antisocial behavior. In response to both prosocial and antisocial toys, boys displayed more physical than verbal…

Reviews research on infants classified by Ainsworth's "Strange Situation" assessment as insecure/ambivalent, and examines studies exploring attachment theory beyond infancy. Presents a theoretical discussion of the ways in which patterns of mother and child behaviors associated with the insecure/ambivalent pattern may work together to…

Adults from the pre- and posttelevision eras were surveyed to determine whether the superhero that today's preschoolers dramatize in their play is qualitatively different from those of past childhoods. Results revealed significant changes in early childhood in heroes or play themes since the advent of television, but no significant change in…

This article reviews literature on the behavior of deaf adolescents; pinpoints problems in students' lack of social skills, decision making, and lack of goal orientation; and offers guidelines for teaching values in tandem with decision-making skills. Six sample lessons are briefly outlined, on defining problems, predicting consequences,…

Presents the behavioral diversity "win-win" model that teaches individuals to discover powerful insights about themselves and others. Providing a clearer understanding of the unique characteristics of individuals, the model also provides a basis for comprehending the behavior of others, enabling people to achieve positive outcomes from…

This study compared the adaptive behaviors of 20 autistic, 20 Down's syndrome, and 20 normal children matched on age equivalent adaptive behavior, gender, race, birth order, family size, and socioeconomic status. The autistic children displayed significant and pervasive deficits in the acquisition of adaptive social skills and greater variability…

Investigated role of maternal characteristics and behavior, perceptions of social support, and infant characteristics to differentiate early patterns of infant security, organized insecurity and disorganization among socioeconomically disadvantaged families. Found a variety of correlations with different attachment patterns. Also found that change…

Examines the emotional development of preschoolers, including the issues of emotional expression, emotional understanding, regulation of emotions, developmental significance, and the role of the caregiver-child relationship. Finds that caregivers influence the emotional development of children as they model, coach, and respond to children.…

Maintains that the "getting into shape" hypothesis of explaining the inverted-U distribution of exercise play across age is likely incorrect. Argues that the biological study of human physical activity play, as recommended by Pellegrini and Smith (1998), will reveal whether physical activity play represents an example of…

This article offers a developmental perspective on college drinking by focusing on broad developmental themes during adolescence and the transition to young adulthood. Links between developmental transitions and alcohol use and other health risks are discussed in light of five conceptual models: Overload; Developmental Mismatch; Increased…

The Adlerian concept of behavior being purposeful and socially embedded offers a contextual backdrop for understanding teens. This article offers an overview of the Dreikurs scheme, its applicability to understanding teen behavior, and, through a case study, the method to be used to speculate about the goal and purpose that undergrid a teenager's…