Examined the relationship between maternal psychological functioning and child competence and psychological adjustment among black families with 11-year-old children. Found a chain of influences over a 3-year period in which maternal education and income were linked with maternal psychological functioning, which predicted competence-promoting…

Investigated family characteristics that enabled children to achieve competence despite being exposed to socioeconomic adversity during early childhood and analyzed the long-term outcomes of this positive adaptation. Found that protective factors modifying the impact of adversity were context specific and showed age and period effects. Although…

Examined longitudinal relations of observed parental warmth and positive expressivity and children's effortful control and ego control with children's high versus low emotional expressivity. Found that moderate child expressivity related to high effortful control. Children's ego overcontrol mediated relations between parental warmth/positive…

Presents the results of a study examining the health of Russian youth from the 1930s to the present. Although overall health has improved from the nadir of World War II, several disturbing trends have developed in post-Soviet society. Changing socioeconomic conditions have resulted in fatigue and poor diet. (MJP)

Discusses the International Survey on Reading Abilities in Primary School (IGLU) and its data on achievement in reading, mathematics, and natural science. Compares this data to that collected by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Identifies achievement relevant correlations such as gender, migration background, socioeconomic…

Tested a developmental-ecological model of violence using longitudinal data from poor, urban African American and Latino adolescent boys and caregivers. Found that community structural characteristics significantly predicted neighborhood social processes. Parenting practices partially mediated relationship between neighborhood social processes and…

This article reports on DISCOVERY, a conceptual model for a clinical system of early detection and early intervention in cases of autism that has been implemented in Yokohama, Japan. Longitudinal data from 49 children who participated in a program during 1987-1990 indicate 32 were still being followed in 1999. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Preliminary results from data on 146 Australian, 284 American, and 70 Norwegian preschool twins indicate reliable genetic influences on phonological awareness and memory and learning. Vocabulary, grammar, and morphology showed significant shared environment and negligible genetic effects. A print knowledge composite showed genetic and shared…

A comparison was made of ability and achievement test results and school grades for 323 pairs of Swedish male and female twins and 740 controls in relation to social background. An interaction effect of sex and social background was found for verbal ability and mathematics test results. (SLD)

Studies one generation of West Berlin (West Germany) students and their transition from elementary to secondary schools in an attempt to identify possible mechanisms of social discrimination. Analyzes variables such as sex, socioeconomic status, and nationality and their relationship to scholastic achievement. Contends that discrimination persists…

Investigates the relation between psychological characteristics and drug use in subjects studied longitudinally, from preschool through age 18. Psychological differences between frequent drug users, experimenters, and abstainers could be traced to the earliest years of childhood and related to the quality of parenting received. Discusses how…

The effects of aid offers on enrollment decisions by college applicants from the classes of 1972, 1980, and 1982, and the effects the type of aid offered had on minority students are analyzed. All types of aid had a positive impact on decisions by college applicants including minority students. (Author/MLW)

Major findings and prediction models resulting from longitudinal research are presented. Discussed are the study design; variables, trends, and profiles; a follow-up study; and implications and policy recommendations. A summary model designed to explain this phenomenon is given. (CW)

This longitudinal study assessed differences in classroom arrangements (peer tutoring versus teacher instruction) and student behaviors for students of low versus high socioeconomic status (SES). Results with 94 teachers and 416 students indicate that peer tutoring was more effective in increasing academic engagement of low-SES students than…

Confirmatory factor analysis of data from a portion of a long-term study provided evidence for two components of math anxiety for 298 male and 266 female 6th through 12th graders. The components related to negative affective reactions and cognitive aspects. Age and gender differences were significant. (TJH)