Second-graders, fifth-graders, and adults participated in an experiment of cued recall for cue-target picture and word pairs. Results suggested that differences in the encoding of both specific and categorical attribute information contribute to developmental recall differences independently of encoding intent and stimulus modality. (Author/CB)

Discusses the increasing problem of drug abuse among young people in terms of social causes, including the disappearance of childhood, the changing family unit, changing value systems of the peer culture, prevailing social norms, and parental attitudes. Examples are given of mass media messages that promote drug use. (CB)

Fourth and fifth grade students wrote essays on what "an old person" meant to them. Content analysis revealed anticipated categories and response frequencies. Emphasizes the implications of using non-directive methods critiquing the biasing and non-comparable methods commonly used. Urges ensuring that attitudes are measured in terms of children's…

This study explored the perception of career/family conflict in adolescent girls to determine how that conflict affects their career-related decisions; how this effect changes over time; and the effect of parental attitudes and marital relationships on this process. Research and results are described. (JL)

One public library's storytelling program for fourth through eighth graders and their grandparents has preserved grandparents' stories and fostered family communication. Storytelling was done one-on-one, with each child then writing and illustrating the story. Benefits included preservation of oral history and encouragement of storytelling,…

Investigates whether 7- and 10-year-old children and adults are sensitive to their own and another listener's failure to understand literal and nonliteral (sarcastic) uses of utterances. (HOD)

Teachers of 35 boys in the Lehigh University-based laboratory school for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children completed rating scales assessing aggressive behavior in students. Children completed similar self-report instruments. Frequency counts of aggressive outbursts and outburst durations were recorded. Results found significant…

Argues that early adolescents are a distinctive group, and that educators must take the time to analyze their development and construct a framework for studying that development. (FL)

This study distinguished between forms of self-consciousness (private self-consciousness and social anxiety) and investigated the effect of self-esteem, vulnerability to criticism, and the tendency to fantasize on each. A structural equation analysis used unobserved variables from a sample (n=1098) of adolescents, ages 12 to 19. (Author/BS)

Administered a health behavior and attitudes questionnaire to 511 fifth- and sixth-grade students. Questions included locus of control and self-esteem items and questions concerning smoking, drinking, and marijuana use. Results indicated that the relationships between health locus of control and self-esteem and their behaviors and intentions is…

Surveyed 596 fifth through seventh graders regarding their cigarette and alcohol behaviors, attitudes, knowledge. Approximately one third of the students were experimental users of these substances. Pro-smoking and pro-drinking attitudes were directly related to use. Knowledge about smoking and drinking were inversely related to use. (JAC)

Study of television's effectiveness in promoting nonsexist role learning found androgynous preadolescent children to be as likely as feminine children, and more likely than masculine ones, to identify nontraditional televised models. (CMG)

Discusses information garnered by the Center for Early Adolescence (North Carolina) from parent surveys, visits to programs, and conversations with youth workers, program directors, and young people concerning successful after-school programing for young adolescents. Adolescent needs (diversity, self-exploration, participation, physical activity)…

This study focuses on the adjustment of siblings of male children with pervasive developmental disability, diabetes, or no known chronic illness. Findings indicate that siblings of ill children are not uniformly at greater risk for psychosocial impairment. Domains were identified in which siblings and parents were more susceptible to adjustment…

Analyzes the exploratory patterns of 112 children ages 4 to 12, using visual and auditory stimuli and toy preference and toy exploration tasks. Finds that a preference for complexity and for unknown toys increases with age and notes age differences in exploratory patterns and question-asking behavior. (Author/CB)