Examines the phenomenon of the"first time"--a teenager's first date, first job, first sexual experience. Since these experiences are imbued with an inordinate amount of emotional investment, they offer an alternative understanding to adolescents' emotional underpinnings and clarify why many adolescents experience stressful times during this stage…

Used computerized diaries to investigate relations between momentary and generalized affect reports. Thirty participants rated current mood at two-hour intervals and gave retrospective reports of daily and weekly mood. Average momentary ratings provided a closer estimate of daily mood than either peak or most recent momentary ratings. (RJM)

Used community samples to determine the effects of childhood family support or dysfunction and the extent of parent drug-use problems on adult intimacy issues, such as sexual satisfaction. Results showed that parent drug-use predicted poor family support; family support correlated strongly with good adult intimate relations. (RJM)

Presents a preliminary phenomenological investigation to obtain a better understanding of the attitudes, motivations, feelings, and beliefs associated with the use of cocaine. Highlights an important aspect of the relationship between cocaine use and earlier experiences of empowerment. (JBJ)

This study examined the effectiveness of the Behavior Summarized Evaluation to discriminate 58 autistic from 58 nonautistic mentally retarded children. The measure clearly separated the two samples with between-group differences highest on four items indicating the most particular pattern in autistic children was the association of autistic…

Discussions of teen sex usually focus on the dangers of pregnancy and disease but ignore the emotional hazards and destructive psychological consequences of temporary sexual relationships. Teenagers absorbed in a sexual relationship may turn inward at a time then they should be reaching out to others. (SLD)

K. Dabrowski's Theory of Emotional Development was used to compare 41 gifted adults (mean age 37) and 42 graduate students (mean age 29). Greater overexcitability scores by the gifted adults suggested substantially greater potential for emotional development, but no significant differences between groups were found for actual level of emotional…

The effects of parental control on child behavior were examined in a survey of 473 fifth, eighth, and tenth graders, who completed measures on parent behavior, family functioning, and their own behavior. The study found that psychological control was more predictive of adolescent internalized problems, whereas behavioral control was more…

This article reviews research on child development relevant to the question of the veracity of mistreatment allegations made by children ages two to five years. The article covers research on thought and language, memory and learning, fears, fantasy, play, and television's effects. It is concluded that preschoolers base their play on the reality…

Structural equation modeling analysis of 349 youths, aged 9-16, in St. Kitts, West Indies, showed that physical punishment by itself does make a modest, but significant, direct and negative contribution to youths' psychological adjustment. Children tended to experience themselves to be rejected in direct proportion to the frequency and severity of…

Defines learning environment as the physical surroundings, psychological or emotional conditions, and sociocultural influences affecting the growth and development of an adult engaged in learning. Suggests that ingrained views of learning environments can be changed by perspective transformation, paradigm shift, and personal philosophy. (SK)

Data analyses on 3,346 parents with a minor child living at home found that 63 percent reported one or more instances of verbal aggression. Children (of both sexes and all ages) who experienced this frequently exhibited higher rates of physical aggression, delinquency, and interpersonal problems than other children. (BRM)

University women (N=277) completed questionnaires providing retrospective reports of childhood abuse. History of psychological abuse was uniquely associated with low self-esteem, physical abuse was linked to aggression toward others, sexual abuse was related to maladaptive sexual behavior, and physical and emotional abuse together resulted in…

Presents typology for differential assessment of and intervention with shoplifters. Notes that model identifies five major categories under which client motivation can be classified: entitlement, addictions, peer pressure, stress, and impulsiveness. Addresses requisite social work knowledge and skills for addressing this costly social problems.…

Elementary classroom teachers rated the withdrawn and social behaviors of 41 children with language impairments (LI) and 41 typically developing peers using the Teacher Behavioral Rating Scale. Teachers rated children with LI as more reticent than typically developing children, and boys with LI as displaying more solitary-active withdrawal…