Examined whether children who vary in their behavioral responses to ambiguous provocation but have similar attributional processes differ in their social goals and self- efficacy perceptions. Subjects were 781 4th and 5th graders. Found that aggressive, withdrawn, and problem-solving responders differed in the social goals and self-efficacy…

Determined whether individual neonate characteristics could be detected and reliably measured in preterm infants. Results showed that preterms were highly self-consistent in their reactions to stimuli from neurobehavioral assessments. Highly reliable individual differences among infants were also seen. Individual consistencies and differences in…

Four boys (ages 5 to 12) with developmental disabilities and severe challenging behaviors were evaluated using two functional assessment procedures: different analog probe conditions, and direct classroom observation of the child's behavior, antecedents, and consequences. Results raised questions about the reliability and ecological validity of…

This article discusses behavioral sequelae common in children and adolescents following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the design of intervention strategies. Emphasis is on the unique needs of these students and the cognitive sequelae of TBI (such as impaired attention, reasoning, learning, and memory) that can cause further behavioral…

A study investigated the relationship between college first-year students'0 self-reported attitudes and behavior and academic success in the first college year. Three of four subscales used in combination predicted accurately first-year students who ended the year in good academic standing. However, the model was much less precise for predicting…

Advocates renewed efforts toward assessing attachment on a single continuum of emotional security. Contends that theory is essential to guide attachment assessment and that the constructs of secure base and emotional security provide the needed conceptual foundation. Addresses challenges to the scoring of attachment on a security continuum.…

Offers suggestions for parents in dealing with a young child's anger when it manifests itself as hitting. Suggestions focus on impulse control and include the following: (1) describe appropriate behavior; (2) show and teach self-control; (3) uncover reasons for anger; (4) prevent out-of-control behavior; (5) calming techniques; (6) and controls…

Research has shown that adolescent tobacco users are much more likely to progress to illicit drugs than are nonusers. This article suggests potential psychosocial reasons for progression based on principles of learning theory, Theory of Reasoned Action, Health Belief Model, and Cognitive Dissonance. Also discusses neuropharmacologic components to…

Traces the interrelations between neighborhood sociocultural factors and adolescents' networks, leisure preferences, and school behavior. The overall conclusion is that both the background variables and most of the network indices correlate with the outcome variables. Results show that time spent with peers indulging in passive leisure consumption…

This study compared 29 females with Turner syndrome and 21 females with fragile X syndrome (ages 6-22) on a videotaped role-play interaction with 34 females in a comparison group. Three of eight behavioral measures of social skills differentiated the participant groups. Fragile-X subjects required more time to initiate interactions and Turner…

Explores mothers' and fathers' differential treatment (PDT) of their adolescent offspring and examines how siblings' personal qualities were associated with PDT. Sex was associated with parents' differential temporal involvement. Sex-typed personal qualities were related to parents' differential discipline. Both sex and sex-typed personal…

Developed a questionnaire of 80 self-report items to measure student approaches to study in higher education, attempting to create a scale and study it with a Rasch measurement model. Results for 350 Australian college students supported the conceptual structure of the scale as involving studying attitudes and behaviors toward the identified five…

The representativeness of behavioral observation samples with durations of less than the whole time of interest was investigated with five profoundly mentally retarded physically handicapped adults in an institutional setting. It was found that the session representativeness was a function of the relative duration of the behavioral categories and…

Examines the persuasive message behaviors of truthful and deceptive communicators. Finds significant differences in the types of persuasive messages generated: truthful persuaders compose messages involving positive and negative sanctions; deceptive persuaders compose messages based on rationale or explanation. (KEH)

Investigates the relationship between social-behavioral competence and behavior disorders among preschoolers in a Head Start program. Results indicate that children identified as externalizers and internalizers are clearly different from those in the control group on a range of adjustment measures. (Author/BB)