Considers aspects of the structural design of conventions observed in parent-child interaction. Examines kinds of design differences that occur in conventions and the consequences of those differences, particularly for parent-child coordination. (PCB)

Used longitudinal data from Oregon Youth Study to examine quantitative and qualitative change. Used latent growth models to demonstrate changes in form and systematic changes in mean level for subgroup of boys. Factor analyses carried out at three ages showed that, over time, changes in form and addition of new problems were quantifiable and thus…

Used structural equation techniques to evaluate model predicting children's (n=1,742) developmental status, taking into consideration demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of mother and her household, characteristics of child at birth, and quality of home environment. Children's developmental status was related strongly and positively to…

Examined whether active participation in the setup of a trick significantly affected the performance of young (mean 40 months) and old (mean 45 months) 3-year olds on questions concerning individuals' ignorance of and false beliefs about a situation. Results suggest that even young 3-year olds have the ability to understand false mental states.…

The extent to which adolescents rely on rational versus experiential information processing was studied with 49 adolescents administered multiple measures of formal operations, two critical thinking questionnaires, a measure of rational processing, and a measure of ego identity status. Implications for studies of development are discussed in terms…

Investigates whether children can demonstrate awareness of musical expression by discriminating between expressive and mechanical music fragments, performing similar songs, and describing the fragments and songs. Indicates task improvement with age, significant differences between kindergarten and fourth-grade scores in perception and description,…

Two recent books, "When Good Kids Kill," by Michael D. Kelleher, and "Lost Boys," by James Garbarino, explore how children become killers and suggest ways to reduce our high-pressure society's epidemic levels of youth violence. Physically or psychologically distant parents and unaffirmative media messages are negative…

Relates chronicity, timing, and severity of alcohol exposure to age-specific developmental and behavioral consequences. Delineates specific interventions with infants, preschoolers, school-age children, and adolescents. Advocates making services for youngsters available early, and basing them on individual strengths and weaknesses as determined…

Discusses C. Milbrath's thesis that artistically talented and less talented children follow different developmental paths because they rely on different ways of responding to the world. Relates this thesis to studies of the childhood work of Paul Klee, Henri Toulouse Lautrec, and Pablo Picasso. (SLD)

A 4-H K-2 program was evaluated by 277 parents, 144 volunteers, and 44 extension agents. These stakeholders believed the program was beneficial and effective in improving children's life skills (self-esteem, making friends, making choices, learning and physical skills). (SK)

This study compared the developmental status, functional abilities, and temperaments of 31 young (36 to 95 months) boys with fragile X syndrome (FXS) who did not have autism, matched on chronological age, gender, and race, with 31 boys with autism but no FXS. Overall, the boys with autism exhibited a more variable profile of development than did…

Assessed how attention toward a visual model affects children's production of visually realistic drawings. Found that spontaneous increase in attention toward models accompanied progression from intellectual to visual realism and that drawing performance of younger children was enhanced by contrasting tasks and explicit instructions. For all, use…

Advises parents to relax and learn to recognize the signs that a child is physically and emotionally ready for the next developmental step. Developmental milestones discussed include riding in a backpack, moving to a forward-facing car seat, using eating utensils, taking time-out, and moving from crib to a bed. (HTH)

Discusses current issues in theory-driven evaluation from the perspective of the evaluation practice literature. Confirmatory program evaluation is proposed as one way to use theory, in combination with quantitative analytical techniques, to assess the effects of social and educational programs. An illustration is provided in the evaluation of a…

Presents an evolutionary model of children's play, noting that an evolutionary approach to children's play is virtually unknown in educational studies. Maintains that there is some urgency in stressing the contribution biological sciences can make to the study of early development, because an enormous amount of relevant research has been ignored…