This book examines the developmental functions of social pretend play (SPP), asserting that SPP is salient in the formation of both social interaction skills and friendships from the toddler period into middle childhood. Part 1 discusses the mastery of the communication of meaning in SPP and presents three studies on the relationship between…

This paper looks at the behaviorist phenomenon of microteaching through a neo-Vygotskian theoretical lens, employing a case study of two groups of prospective teachers being coached by a professor or clinical instructor. The paper attempts to broaden Vygotsky's notion of the zone of proximal development (ZPD) by conceptualizing the ZPD as a…

Methodologies and trends of judicial behavior research (the study of how and why court judges make decisions) are traced from the 1920s to the present. Arranged into five sections, the first two sections of the report identify principal points of social science research in general. A summary of methodology in judicial behavior research reveals…

This report documents research and development performed by principal investigators under the sponsorship of the Office of Naval Research Cognitive and Neural Sciences Division during fiscal year 1989. Programs are conducted under contracts and grants awarded on the basis of proposals received in response to a Broad Agency Announcement in the…

This paper reports the results of a Monte Carlo investigation of Type I errors in the single group repeated measures design where multiple measures are collected from each observational unit at each measurement occasion. The Type I error of three multivariate tests were examined. These were the doubly multivariate F test, the multivariate mixed…

This commemorative book contains 10 papers that provide a selective sample of behavioral and social science research accomplishments and trends over a 50-year period, and comparisons are made with research presented in the 1933 report, "Recent Social Trends in the United States" (The Ogburn Report). Four chapters in part 1,…

Mathematically precocious adolescents were studied in order to identify sex differences in self-concept/self-esteem which exist at a stage when intellectual differences are emerging. Subjects were 166 males and 68 females, ages 12-15 years, enrolled in a summer residential program for talented youth. Mean SATM scores for the experimental…

This is the second annual report of the Army Research Institute's (ARI) basic research program. It describes the current focus of the program and the individual research efforts sponsored within each of the four principal thrust areas: ability assessment; instructional technology; cognitive processing limitations; and intelligent systems. In…

Practical guidance is offered to masters and doctoral students on planning, developing, completing, and defending theses and dissertations. The objective is to meet the specific needs of students doing research in education and in the social and behavioral sciences, including psychology, social work management, health sciences, and communication.…

This report contains accounts of studies, about scales to be used in the "A Study of Schooling" research project, undertaken to derive indices for constructs presumed to be measureable by composites of items. The report is introduced by a discussion on the rationale for selecting the research methodology used and an explanation of the…

If organizations are to measure and use worker performance information effectively, they must distinguish between two components of performance appraisal: performance data (recorded information for comparing workers) and performance development (the process of improving human assets by discouraging ineffective and reinforcing effective job…

This study investigated the problem-solving effectiveness of family units, in order to account for social class differences in problem-solving ability. Basil Bernstein's theory concerning the role of speech styles in perception and information processing formed the basis for investigation; family speech styles, leadership patterns, and role…

This study used behavioral measures of family interaction to examine four traditional explanatory models for the influence of parents on their children's self-esteem. The four models examined were: (1) identification/modeling, (2) directiveness, (3) reinforcement, and (4) warmth/involvement. A total of 98 fourth- and fifth-grade girls and boys…

This paper discusses various theories of developmental psychology, and presents a developmental theory of socialization founded upon the following premises: (1) that a materialistic theory of development and socialization must incorporate not only ecological aspects but also underlying political/economic dynamics of the society in which and for…

This is a survey of the state of behavioral science knowledge related to long-term retention of flying skills completed for the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The report contains a survey of selected agencies and knowledgeable individuals as well as a literature review. (A list of libraries, agencies, and individuals consulted is appended, but a complete…