Children are exposed to violence in media and everyday life, which may promote aggression as a means to solve problems. Skills and strategies of problem solving, conflict resolution, and peace making can be learned through well-organized and frequent exposure to literature. Books that deal with misunderstanding, jealousy, playground skirmishes,…

Two steps in the social information process model were assessed for socially accepted and rejected children by verbal responses to stories embedded in computer games. Attributions of intent and aggressive problem solutions were correlated with contextual factors (interpersonal context, outcome of game, and story type) and with sex and social…

Presents study results regarding the social cognitive abilities of deaf adolescents. Explains that role taking ability and nonverbal sensitivity was evaluated in a series of tests. Reports low performance in social cognitive abilities. Suggests that language plays a role in social adjustment. Concludes that nonverbal sensitivity is an important…

This study examined the relationship between (1) sex and family size of 33 siblings of autistic children; and (2) siblings' performance on achievement, self-concept, home behavior, and school behavior measures. Overall, the siblings' performance was not suggestive of a need for special intervention. (Author/JDD)

Twenty-two siblings of autistic boys and 34 other siblings were compared on measures of depression, social adjustment, and family responsibilities. Results showed that siblings of autistic boys scored significantly higher on depression than the comparison group, but not on problems of social adjustment. There were no significant gender…

This study examined four older adults at the time of retirement to determine the extent to which there was intraindividual variability and stability in self-concept during the retirement transition, and to see whether patterns of change were replicable across subjects. Results showed that three to four dimensions of self-concept variability…

Examined possible antecedents of premarital and marital conceptions early in lives of young women (n=5,167) and men (n=5,585). Found that significant antecedents of premarital conception for both sexes were low socioeconomic status; low adolescent social adjustment; and family environment characterized by parent-child arguing, parental divorce or…

Examined whether children's cognitive biases moderated impact of stressful divorce-related events on adjustment in 9- to 12-year olds. Found that endorsing negative cognitive errors for hypothetical divorce events moderated relations between stressful divorce events and self- and maternal-reports of internalizing and externalizing symptoms for…

Examines empirical studies purporting to demonstrate that transracial adoption may positively benefit children of color, particularly Black children. Argues that several methodological difficulties exist in these studies, and describes the Eurocentric bias of legal and scientific assessments of children's well-being and adjustment. (JPB)

Examined whether links between marital relations and six- to nine-year olds' adjustment were mediated by children's emotional security. Latent variable path analysis results supported theoretical pathway whereby marital dysfunction was linked with adjustment problems as mediated by emotional insecurity regarding parental conflicts. Emotional…

Examined family relationships and adjustment of two adolescent siblings in non-stepfamilies and in stabilized simple and complex stepfamilies. Found that complex stepfamilies were more different from non-stepfamilies than simple stepfamilies in which all children were fully biologically related siblings from mothers' previous marriage. Adolescents…

Compares learning achievement, social adjustment, and family conflict among 146 Bedouin-Arab students from polygamous and monogamous families. Reveals that children from monogamous families had higher levels of learning achievement, and they adjusted better to the school framework. The mean conflict rating was higher for children from polygamous…

Uses longitudinal data to determine whether a positive view of perceived peer acceptance is a risk factor for continued aggression and social rejection for aggressive children. Results indicate that perceived peer acceptance did not predict aggression. However, children who reported higher levels of perceived peer acceptance received lower actual…

Investigated differences in normative and subjective outcomes for group of adolescent children born in India and adopted by American families. Found that although these adoptees could be considered unsuccessful compared to accepted standards of adjustment because 46 percent were identified as having special needs, in fact the children were pleased…

Discusses two aspects of a conceptual framework for examining the unique developmental significance of friendship. Presents findings from longitudinal study of preadolescent peer rejection and friendship status as predictors of adjustment in early adulthood. (SD)