Describes four functions served by student attitudes (instrumental, ego-defensive, value expressive, and knowledge) and discusses various ways to foster positive attitudes including using principles of cognitive dissonance. Also discusses various types of attitude measures. (SK)

The author presents an overview of social development, including new findings concerning moral development and self-differentiation. Emphasis is placed on the role of peer interactions, rather than adult authority, in shaping and advancing the child's self-constructed moral values. (Editor/SJL)

Investigated youthful drug use in a rural community. Examined the nature and extent of the drug problem extant in the community. Investigated the reasons cited for using drugs. Examined the characteristics of abstainers and their reasons for nonuse and compared this group with former drug users. (Author/RC)

Project AIM/LOFT (Accommodative Instructional Management/Learning Opportunities for Teachers) is a staff development training program that uses special instructional materials. The five-part staff development project includes: (1) intensive competency-based training; (2) in-class follow-up training; (3) action labs; (4) training in team dynamics;…

Results suggest that older teenagers may cut down on their own smoking when they are involved in efforts to change the smoking behavior of younger teens. Concludes that an antismoking campaign within the context of a school curriculum might be effective in changing the smoking behavior of teenagers. (PD)

A research synthesis of the influence of peer groups on elementary and high school students' achievement and educational/occupational aspirations is presented. Strength of the peer influence-outcome relationship was higher in urban settings and when peer influence was determined by individuals reporting achievement levels of their best friends.…

Survey findings indicated the use of alcohol and drugs among prepubertal and teenage students, and the involvement of both groups in theft and valdalism. The view advanced was by the study that deficient socialization and inadequate parenting, as well as peer group pressures and psychogenic factors, influenced these behavioral problems. (Author/RD)

A college's ethos, based on the perceptions of the institution's character from both faculty and students, may provide a basis for decisions necessary for a college's survival in the next decade. Survey results show colleges most likely to survive balance self-awareness, empathetic responsiveness, internal coherence, resilience, and autonomous…

Research addressing the use of small, semi-independent, task-centered student groups ("syndicates") as a classroom technique in higher education is reviewed. Focus is on the promotion of higher-order cognitive skills through the use of such groups. Related concerns include student achievement, group relations, and teacher style. (Author/JMD)

Ninety-five women (18-26 years of age) from 23 countries were interviewed regarding (1) their preparation for menarche, (2) messages from others at the time of menarche, and (3) their emotional responses to the first period. Mothers were the source of information for most girls. Others' reactions were primarily hygiene-centered. Comparisons with…

The educational implications of Piaget's concept of intelligence provide a framework for the application of theory to educational practice. The uniqueness of individual learning is compared to stage-based teaching. Social interaction is viewed as one of the major forces in cognitive development. (JN)

Although women's choices of certain occupations may be perceived as nontraditional, these women make choices congruent with their immediate environment. Environmental factors include maternal employment, paternal achievement behavior, parent attitudes, socioeconomic status, family size, and peer influence. (RC)

Discusses the necessity of student-student interactions for enhancing achievement, socialization, and healthy psychological development. Presents evidence concerning the constructive impact of the appropriate use of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic goal structures and the power of effectively managed controversy within the classroom.…

Eighty subjects in grades 5, 7, 9, and 12 spontaneously nominated peers as the most acceptable reference group for social judgment; adults outside the family as a reference group for informational judgment; and parents as the best referent for moral judgment. (Author/CP)

Describes the national antismoking campaign in terms of various school projects funded by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, coordinated by its new Office on Smoking and Health. Projects include utilizing peer counselors, demonstrating what smoking does to the body, and showing how to deal with social pressures. (MF)