Significant developmental differences were found for student adjustment in a study exploring relations between standardized measures of students' achievement and teacher ratings of student adjustment for K-2 students in mixed-age classrooms. Teacher ratings of student adjustment were significantly lower for kindergartners compared to second…

Introduces the concept of family integration to describe how family social organization affects individuals. Hypothesizes that well-integrated parents benefit children's self-concept formation. Tests three mechanisms of parental family integration, and shows that integration early in life has positive effects on children's self-esteem in early…

A survey of 10,000 United Kingdom college graduates explored satisfaction with the contribution that higher education had made to their general development. The study examined which students were likely to evaluate the contribution favorably, made inferences about institution type and contribution, and explored the relationship with student age.…

Three women undertook a four-day winter camping trip in the Adirondacks as their practicum in an outdoor and experiential-education course. Their description of the confidence gained and the balance between self-doubt and overconfidence is compared to walking in snowshoes. (TD)

Data on cult membership and the characteristics of cults are provided. The process of cult affiliation and its relationship to family dynamics are reviewed. Defection, the processes of disaffiliation (voluntary and involuntary), and clinical symptoms after cult disaffiliation are discussed. Implications and recommendations for counselors are…

Describes the current state of Japanese human resource development, influenced by lifetime employment and seniority practices, and the emerging system, shifting to long-term and performance-based practices. Addresses critical issues: linkages with business strategies, changes in organizational structure, and new evaluation practices. (SK)

Literature review provides list of risk factors associated with violent behaviors in adolescents. Identifies protective factors that have the potential to protect youth from violent lifestyles. Suggests approaches for prevention and describes recommendations for action: early prevention; identification; individualized assessment; trained…

Offers children's answers to the question, "Why do we listen to stories?" Explores what a group of second graders had to say about literature, imagination, and the place of stories in their own lives. Discusses the role of literature in unleashing imagination, helping humans see the big picture, and how "knowing the old helps us make the new." (SR)

Maintains that the preceding studies extend a long line of research demonstrating the coherence of individual development in attachment security. Notes that the studies clarify that attachment security can be stable from infancy through early adulthood and that changes in security are meaningfully related to changes in the family environment.…

Investigated the nature and origins of early ideas about the environment held by children. Found that data explain aspects of the knowledge children have about various environments before they enter school, the development of this knowledge from ages 4 to 6, and young children's developing understanding of the impacts of environmental changes.…

The role of creativity in personal growth is explored. A literature review and a survey of art students are reported, examining parallels between creativity, self-actualization, and the three-dimensional art experience. Responses are categorized and data analysis is presented. The most frequent residual effects were increased sense of openness and…

The Camping Out experiential education program in Ontario (Canada) helps prepare youths (age 14-21) to deal with issues of sexual orientation and to practice building healthy, open connections that acknowledge the diversity of gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities. The camp offers a year-round followup support program. (SAS)

Developmental Counseling and Therapy offers an approach to the fourth Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classification systems that enables the reframing of severe client distress as a logical response to developmental history. Specific suggestions for positive case management and practice, multicultural issues, etiology, and…

Describes how Rosemary Wells's new books about "Edward Unready" explain children and readiness; explores the problems with her message, and suggests new endings that are more supportive of all children. Asserts that variability in development should not be mistaken for deficit, and recommends changing the focus from judging children to…

The reception of some major psychological theories in the field of education is traced in this discussion of educational psychology as an applied discipline. The focus is on aspects of development and learning. Educational psychology may be best thought of as an interdisciplinary field of research than as a subdiscipline of either education or…