Parents of 78 young people with Down syndrome, age 17 to 24 years, were asked whether their offspring had ever used private speech (talking out loud to themselves). Results confirm the universality of private speech and its developmental pattern. No association was found between private speech and behavior problems, communication difficulties or…

This study used the Child Concept of Age test with 47 individuals with mental retardation, divided into four age groups. Only subjects in the oldest age group (over 60) had an appropriate concept of age. Results suggest that age-related concepts are difficult for this population and conceptualization of old age is influenced by stereotypes.…

Improved supervisor-supervisee communication will help organizations manage a diverse work force. Two strategies for improvement are management of personal growth (short term) and mentoring (long term). (Contains 28 references.) (SK)

The Personal Growth Initiative Scale (PGIS) assesses intentionality in personal growth. Three studies were undertaken to (1) investigate the PGI construct; (2) describe the development and factor structure of the PGIS; and (3) test the internal consistency, temporal stability, and convergent and discriminant validity of scores on the PGIS. (EMK)

Discusses personal mastery for organizational change based on experiences used by Learning as Leadership at Fairchild Semiconductor. Topics include individual change leading to more accountability in workplace performance improvement; examining the past to uncover behavioral and communication patterns; creating goals for the future; and taking…

Presents results of a study of eight leaderless groups. Findings included a serendipitous forming process, minimal norming, a support system extending beyond the group, a spontaneous and flexible group process, and unresolved issues. Focus and purpose of the groups were found to be the factors that have changed over time. Discusses results in…

Presents evidence connecting community service and religiousness in American youth. These data from nationally representative samples strengthen the case that the many contemporary youth who take religion seriously are vibrantly engaged in their schooling, in the betterment of communities, and the development of identities that presage healthy…

Used semistructured interviews to explore the interrelationship between cultural identity and place in the lives of adult Korean adoptees. Found that most Korean adoptees followed a similar developmental trajectory of denial, self-awareness, and emerging cultural consciousness about their Korean heritage. Environmental factors such as travel to…

Discusses Tikkun Olam--the Jewish tenet of healing the world through individual good deeds--and its applicability to the practice of adventure therapy. Focuses on the therapeutic relationship, as it develops in group settings, and the role of adventure leaders and therapists in nourishing such relationships to provide a vehicle for healing or…

Explores the wilderness expedition from an anthropological perspective as a personal rite of passage involving rituals created by the group, an intense sense of community, strengthened individual identity, and connection to the natural environment. Includes participants' descriptions of the revelations they experienced and of the expedition as a…

Proposes that current research on language socialization be expanded beyond childhood, or even adolescence, to consider communicative development as a process that extends across the life span. Perhaps more than ever before, adults find themselves called on to master new communications skills as they adapt to new workplace or social situations and…

This study identified a set of factors, including vocational exploration and commitment, commitment to the role of work, and participation in the role of studying, which explained 43.3 percent of the variance in the identity development of 95 gifted female adolescents. Of these factors, vocational exploration and commitment contributed the most to…

The Prime Minister of Jamaica outlines global economic and human development challenges and the role of education in building a learning society. (SK)

Maintains that authors' meta-analytic findings make early competence accounts of theory of mind increasingly unlikely. Asserts that findings argue against executive function expression accounts, including that advocated by Scholl and Leslie (PS532407). Explains that meta-analytic findings directly contradict Scholl and Leslie's predictions…

Discusses the role of campus counseling services, developmental needs of college students, the role of science teachers, and the benefits of collaboration between counselors and science teachers. (MM)