Socrates' defense of his life and work as told in Plato's "Apology" is an ideal work for moving young people to consider their moral responsibilities to themselves and others. Read as a biography, this classic text is timely in that it invites reflection on character formation and personal development. (Author/SLD)

Focuses on 36 items in the ACT College Outcomes Survey to identify areas of personal and social gain where students perceived colleges to have the greatest impact. Results indicate that, for average impact, colleges exerted only a moderate influence. Students perceived the greatest effects of college to be on cognitive and intellectual growth.…

Proposes using a developmentally appropriate practice framework to determine if a sexual abuse prevention program takes into consideration the unique learning abilities of preschool children. Reviews definition of and statistics related to sexual abuse. Compares appropriate and inappropriate teaching practices in child sexual abuse prevention…

Analyzes interviews with nine librarians in Jamaica concerning the influence of the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL). Discussed are the IASL's roles in fostering personal and professional growth, in highlighting the importance of the library to the educational process, and in developing school library policy. (PEN)

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 Found that aggressive, withdrawn, and problem-solving responders differed in the social goals and self-efficacy…

Describes use of guided imagery in a family of origin group. Outlines three stages in the process of differentiation from family: identification, integration, and activation of the individual's thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Use of guided imagery is highlighted as a means for accessing the unconscious and increasing the clients' awareness of…

A study of 66 children with cancer and 43 siblings attending the Ronald McDonald Camp found that disease-specific camps allow children membership in a community of peers, which enhances self-esteem and social acceptance. A separate, longitudinal study of 38 beginning and experienced campers found that campers' intrapersonal and interpersonal…

Discusses three core moral judgement ideas: (1) modern schema theory, (2) automatic decision-making frequency, and (3) implicit processes as the default mode of human information processing. Compares the Defining Issues Test (measures the beginnings of moral judgement) and the Lawrence Kohlberg Moral Judgement Interview (measures the highest level…

Discusses the issue of early musical experience to provide the necessary background for musical achievement in the future. Presents a review of research on musical practice, motivation, and cognitive skills of music performance. Addresses the implications of the research on music education overall. Includes references. (CMK)

This longitudinal study examined the development, antecedents, and concomitants of empathic concern in the second year of life among 125 first-born girls. Findings indicated that empathic concern for mother's simulated distress increased from 16 to 22 months, whereas empathy for a stranger's simulated distress decreased. Fearful temperament and…

Examines the significance of several developmental theories for early childhood education, including those of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bronfenbrenner. Raises questions about how ideological assumptions and contextual factors affect theory development. Argues that contemporary theorists can share ideas, cross geographical and interdisciplinary…

Examines the quality of infant and toddler care as a prerequisite for the emotional well-being of children. Offers suggestions on how day-care providers can work toward understanding and generously meeting infant needs: hold and mold; be a responsive reciprocal partner; enhance noticing skills; learn ages and stages; apply developmental theories;…

Examines why editors publish certain books and trends in book publishing: memoir, business, management, history, spirituality, religion, science, self-help, and fiction. Provides an annotated bibliography of 21 books predicted to do well in the fall of 1997. (PEN)

Recent research has established closer links between language, cognition, and social life than Piaget or Vygotsky imagined. Connections have been established between object permanence development and acquisition of disappearance words and the quantity and quality of child-adult joint attentional social interactions and children's early word…

Considers the mind of the epistemic psychologist, a constructivist knowledge creator within a scientific framework, guided by the social world of scientific institutions. Suggests that Piaget and Vygotsky shared respect for complexity of phenomena and were consistently developmental in their theories. A reconsideration of their common heritage…