Argues that field research can provide evidence about the long-term socialization and developmental effects of media violence on viewer's behavior. Summarizes findings from a number of quasi-experimental studies about the effects of naturally occurring media violence. Concludes that these findings are often consistent with the hypothesis that…

Examines some of the ways television may influence the imagination, motor activity, and aggressiveness of preschool and early school-aged children. Proposes a model in which a number of family and personal variables influence the growing child's response to television, and reports the results of several empirical studies that investigated family…

Examines developmental changes in children's ability to comprehend visual and verbal narrative. Finds that understanding and integrating temporal aspects of a narrative is more difficult for young children when the story is presented visually than when presented verbally, whereas older children comprehend narratives in both formats equally well.…

Described is a neurodevelopmental team assessment system called Interdisciplinary System to Plan Early Childhood Treatment (INSPECT). INSPECT monitors the status and progress of young brain-injured children by combining and synthesizing the results of norm-based, adaptive curriculum-based, and clinical judgment scales. A case profile illustrates…

Examination of the child development beliefs of 40 families reveals that Greek-Australians regard behaviors reflecting initiative and independence, personal maturity, and interpersonal sensitivity to be appropriate at a later age than do Anglo-Australians, but the converse holds true for respect, self-control, and unsupervised activities. Parents'…

A media education curriculum developed in the Netherlands is designed to increase the media literacy of children aged 4-12 years by helping them to acquire information and insights into the meaning of mass media; teaching them to produce and use audiovisual materials as a method of expression; and using audiovisual equipment in the classroom. (LRW)

This review of the literature examines the development of humor in infants and young children, and looks at ways in which adults can support children's understanding, appreciation, and creation of humor in play and verbal and social interactions. (BB)

A systematic examination of the desired outcome of discipline is important before developing a discipline structure. Discipline goals should be based on: (1) appropriate developmental expectation; (2) societal expectations of the individual; and (3) a mechanism for helping youngsters formulate goals for their own behavior management. (JDD)

Examines developmental changes in the resolution of conflicting goals involved in self-evaluation among children entering second, fourth, and sixth grades who represent high, medium, and low ability levels in arithmetic. Results are discussed in terms of strategies for balancing self-assessment with self-enhancement needs. (Author/RWB)

Discusses results of a longitudinal study comparing three models of preschool education for disadvantaged children: a teacher-oriented DISTAR program, a High/Scope collaborative model, and a traditional nursery school program. While all three programs improved IQ scores, participants in the DISTAR model reported twice as much delinquency as those…

Shows that (1) fathers under economic stress were more likely to be depressed and have marital problems; (2) mothers had greater tendency to be depressed if marital relationship was stressed, regardless of economic situation; and (3) children of families with economic stress and other problems acted more withdrawn in the peer group or engaged in…

Filmed 30 infants monthly between one and seven months of age where mothers or unfamiliar women responded to their cries by picking up or talking to the infants. Results suggest that infants develop conditioned associations among distress-relief patterns by one month, and cognitive expectations by four or five months. (Author/BB)

Study findings indicate that maternal depression is prevalent among low-income mothers with infants. Depressed mothers are more likely than nondepressed mothers to show hostile and intrusive behavior toward their infants, and infants of depressed mothers are more likely to exhibit slowed development and unstable avoidance attachment behaviors.…

Provides a historical review of the concept of childhood beginning with childhood as a natural state and ending with childhood as a socially constructed reality. (SRT)

Discusses the influence of external environments on the functioning of families as contexts for child development. Describes studies on the interaction of genetics and environment, on relationships between the family and hospital care, day care, peers, schools, parental employment and support networks, the community, and major transition life…