Two experiments examined toddlers' noun vocabularies and interpretations of names for solid and non-solid items. Results indicated that one side of the solidity-syntax-category organization mapping was favored. Seventeen- to 33-month olds do not systematically generalize names for solid things by shape similarity until they already know many…

Describes how a researcher and an elementary school teacher added a word sorting component to help children work through the complexities of the language as they group words into categories. Describes results as fifth graders thought aloud while they sorted words. Finds a link between children's developmental knowledge of spelling and their…

The unconscious belief that everyone in society should be "normal" creates the pain of discrimination for those who are disabled. This narrative relates the author's personal experience of growing up disabled and her overcompensation for "Abelism." Learning to embrace the label "disabled" and make new choices provides…

Examines the cultural values and assumptions underlying the theory and research regarding psychological well-being. It is argued that culture-free theories or measures of well-being are unattainable because all understandings of psychological well-being are based on moral visions. (Author/GCP)

Examined recall by 14- to 32-month-olds for multistep event sequences experienced at 13 to 20 months. Found that within step-length groups, there were no age differences in the length of time over which memory was evidenced. With prompts by event-related props, age-related differences in memory appeared. Age-related effects were particularly…

Examines recent research that suggests the formation of moral impulse, rather than moral reasoning, is the basis for moral development and education. Discusses the insights of the medieval Jewish philosopher and physician Maimonides, comparing his ideas with current research in neuroscience. Discusses implications for educational and social…

States that teachers must "face" themselves in order to encourage experimentation with practices that evoke embodied experiences. Discusses "facing yourself," the process of knowing who you are, who you are not, and allowing for the self-transformation that should follow. (CMK)

Outward Bound Czech Republic offers a personal development program for international participants that goes beyond the physical outdoor activities traditionally associated with adventure education. Dramaturgy uses "scenarios" in course design, allowing instructors to integrate a range of social, physical, creative, and reflection…

Cluster analyses supported the existence of 2 groups of perfectionists (labeled "adaptive" and "maladaptive") and a group of nonperfectionists in a sample (N = 312) of college students. Maladaptive perfectionists evidenced the poorest adjustment of all 3 groups. Adaptive perfectionists and nonperfectionists generally evidenced comparable aspects…

The articles in this issue each contribute uniquely to the growing field of adolescent religious and spiritual development. Together, they also illustrate important themes in the field, including the multidimensionality of the domain of religious and spiritual development and a growing emphasis on themes consistent with developmental systems…

Age differences within the yo-yo trend in IQ, caused when aging norms that produce inflated scores are replaced with new norms, were examined using longitudinal WISC, WISC-R and WISC-III records of students tested for special education services from 10 school districts. Descriptive and individual growth modeling analyses revealed that while the…

Educators of professionals often want to determine the quality of student performance and its impact on those they serve. Performance assessment in the education of teachers, medical practitioners, and counselors, for example, currently receives much discussion and debate in the literature (Vaugh & Everhart, 2004; Howley, 2003; and, Urbani et al.,…

This paper offers a critical discourse analysis of a life skills career education curriculum for schools in British Columbia, Canada. This curriculum calls for the development of a set of life skills that are positioned as central to students' employability. At the heart of the curriculum is a focus on personal development, in particular, the need…

The purpose of this research is to understand the relationship between human development in older adults and personal learning. Personal or self-directed learning (SDL) refers to a style of learning where the individual directs, controls, and evaluates what is learned. It may occur with formal classes, but most often takes place in non-formal…

This research uses the National Child Development Study to investigate the effects of adult learning upon 12 outcomes that act as proxies for health and social capital. To minimise selection bias we consider changes in outcomes rather than levels. We find that adult learning plays an important role in contributing to the small shifts in attitudes…