Suggests a classroom activity for teaching psychology students about group norms. Calls upon students to conduct peer surveys about a particular behavior and then to represent approval or disapproval of the behavior graphically. Argues that the activity increases student understanding of survey research methods, the need for controlled research,…

Presents study results showing that a range of modes of interactive organization coexist in expert-novice problem-solving activity and vary with the asymmetry of the relationships. Reports that by combining high achieving status with task-related expertise, the resulting interactive dynamic is guidance/tutoring. Argues for multidimensional…

Piaget's hypothesis that children's interactions with peers during middle childhood are essential to their moral reasoning development was tested with 48 female preadolescents who were paired with a female agemate or their mother. Subjects paired with peers showed more sophisticated moral reasoning and used more active transacts in their…

Describes a project in a kindergarten classroom in which a professor, graduate assistant, the classroom teacher, and parents served as writing role models during the daily journal writing time. After 7 to 10 days of the project, children labeled their drawings, wrote about a variety of topics, copied adults' writing, experimented with print, and…

Four children without disabilities and 2 adult trainers interacted with 2 children (ages 11 and 12) with severe and multiple disabilities to determine effect on target motor behaviors. Both the adult instruction and peer social interactions increased motor responses. No differences were noted between adult instruction and peer social interaction.…

A sample of 124 high school students considered at risk for failure and continued drug use was enrolled in a program intended to determine the effect of teacher and peer social support. It was found that teacher support had a significant effect in decreasing drug use, but peer support had none. (DM)

Assessed changes in college student behavior regarding alcohol consumption before/after implementation of statewide legislative and campuswide administrative actions to cope with alcohol abuse. Findings showed no major changes in responsible alcohol-related behaviors. Factor analysis of behaviors and consequences, however, led to groupings of…

This study used F. Fiedler's task structure analysis to probe emergence and maintenance of leadership in groups of gifted secondary students (N=122) engaged in unstructured, creative production. Results are discussed in terms of relationships between group perceptions of leadership effectiveness, group product creativity, and leadership style…

This workshop section includes four essays: (1) "Building Lifelong Relationships: School Age Programs at Work" (Cindy L. Teachey); (2) "Building Friendships in School Age Programs" (Joan M. Bergstrom); (3) "On the Rocky Road to Friendship: Emerging Peer Relationships" (Kay Albrecht); (4) "Helping Teachers Understand Their Role in Supporting Peer…

Data from a 1992 statewide survey of students in grades 5-12 were analyzed to determine the extent to which cigarette smoking predicted alcohol and other drug use and acted as a gateway drug. Results indicated smoking was a powerful predictor for alcohol and drug use, and the relationship was dose responsive. (SM)

Evaluated ability of four-factor psychosocial model to explain adolescent drug involvement. Findings from 1,050 seventh- and eighth-grade students revealed that four-factor model offered concise theoretical model of underlying psychosocial determinants of adolescent drug use. Results indicated need for children to bond with peers, parents, and…

Examines white mothers (n=199) and white fathers (n=144) of adolescents reporting regular alcohol use. Less than one third of parents were aware of their adolescents' drinking. Parental awareness of adolescent alcohol use served to protect adolescents by moderating the reaction of parents' responsiveness to episodes of drinking and driving.…

Studied role of nonshared parent and peer influences on siblings as predictors of adolescent cigarette smoking onset. Found peer influences were predictors of smoking onset when shared influences were controlled. Nonshared peer influences on siblings were stronger in educated families. Findings highlight utility of controlling for shared…

Followed students annually from sixth through eighth grade to determine: (1) susceptibility to peer influence to misbehave, exposure to peer drinking, and alcohol overindulgence; (2) cohort and gender differences; and (3) moderating influences. Found that the exposure/overindulgence relationship varied as a function of initial susceptibility.…

Discusses a case study designed to develop an intervention to promote the generalization of social skills for a child with an educational classification of behavior disorders. Results indicate that social-skills instruction alone failed to result in generalization but subsequent use of a group contingency resulted in generalizations across…