A form of autosuggestibility in which children's answers to memory tests were shifted in the direction of their illogical solutions to reasoning problems was studied in 5 experiments with 396 primary-grade students. A model of how gist intrusion causes autosuggestibility is developed. (SLD)

Reviews two sets of play theories, classical and modern, noting that the reason and purpose for play are explained by classical theories; the role of play in child development, determined by modern theories. States that process of play has dual functions of personal expression and social adaptation. Examines the relationship between play and…

Reports findings from a survey completed by 105 Canadian families with adopted children from Romania. Results reflect the parents' perceptions of the adoption experience, the condition of the child on adoption, the parents' subsequent developmental concerns, and the children's progress. Parents' perceived needs and concerns are reported, and…

Investigates numerical competence in five-month-old infants using a violation-of-expectation paradigm. Supports previous findings that young children possess not only the competence for limited numerical abstraction, but also the ability to carry out addition and subtraction operations. An alternative explanation, that infants' responses are based…

Reviews research on children's imaginary companions. Notes that companions may serve many psychological functions, such as compensating for real or perceived deficits, and helping the child through difficult developmental times. Suggests that the companion does not compromise reality testing or social development, but may foster developmental,…

A sample of 236 4- to 6-year olds was tested on aspects of lexical and sublexical development while learning to read and retested 1 year later. Reading development, the influence of lexical and sublexical processes, age differences, and implications for instruction are discussed. (SLD)

Comparison of the mental status of 30 subjects with Down's Syndrome mosaicism and 30 matched subjects with trisomy 21 Down's Syndrome found that the mean intelligent quotient of the mosaic Down's Syndrome group was significantly higher and that this group showed better verbal abilities and more normal visual-perceptual skills. (Author/DB)

Examined the relationships between parental behaviors and sibling relationships. Only one difference emerged between rates of maternal and paternal behavior toward children. Paternal behavior accounted for unique variance in sibling relationship quality more often than maternal behavior did. (Author/GLR)

Examined four and seven year olds' recall of standard features of a repeated event as opposed to features that deviated from that event. Younger children had more difficulty determining which features occurred in the events. Concludes that younger children organize their memory for general and specific event episodes differently than older…

Much of what later became industrial arts originated with the early kindergarten, based on the principles of Froebel as an educational response to economic hardship and social unrest. Emphasis was on activity and social learning, on teaching children how to work and fostering allegiance to the social system. (SK)

Reveals conclusions of an analysis of developmental psychology textbook information about television and children. Reports variability in the amount and type of information presented. Suggests that the amount of information presented has declined in recent years. Expresses concern for the textbooks' scant coverage of the effects of television on…

A British study asked 475 children aged 7-11 to write a piece explaining what good writing is. Children appeared extremely concerned with technical skills more than composition. Developmental stage differences may explain that their concerns reflect what bothered them most at the time and they did not mention what was less bothersome or what they…

Lead poisoning is the number one environmental threat to children. At low levels it harms development, damages blood cells, and lowers IQ. At higher levels, it damages the nervous system, kidneys, reproductive system, and mental development. The article examines risk factors and discusses contamination, testing for lead, and prevention. (SM)

Observes that adequate health care is essential to every child's development and achievement. Discusses some of the indicators of child health and the U.S. Surgeon General's goals for childhood health care. Describes means of protecting child health and what the federal and state government role should be. (SG)

Examined Parenting Inventory: Young Children (PI), rating scale measuring developmental expectations and behaviors of parents of young children. Data from 1,056 mothers revealed PI discriminated successfully between parents with children of different ages and had substantial content validity. PI was not strongly related to Adult-Adolescent…