The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is known to be critically involved in strategy switching, attentional set shifting, and inhibition of prepotent responses. A central feature of this kind of behavioral flexibility is the ability to resolve conflicting response tendencies, suggesting a general role of the PFC in resolving interference. If so, the PFC…

In television programing, pacing is generally defined as the relative speed with which a program appears to progress or the rate at which its material is presented. A study examined whether a fast-paced news show would produce a higher degree of accurate recall of content than would a slow paced program, and whether differences in pacing would…

A study of media use by children was conducted to produce an index of fantasy-reality orientation derived from the respondents' stated preferences for media content combined with their responses to a series of open-ended questions designed to tap the gratifications they claimed to receive from the media. Data were collected in three waves, when…

Addresses the significance of youth as a social category by studying 11- through 16-year-olds in one Scottish city. Examines disjunctions in leisure patterns that coincide with the following variables: (1) age, (2) gender, and (3) class. (LHW)

Presents data from a longitudinal study, based on a sample of 632 Aberdeen school children (ages 11-16), on the development of peer and parental influences during adolescence. Reports that parental influence substantially diminished, but it was not replaced by peer influence: deference to parents remained strong over time. (KH)

A 2-year study examined the leisure reading of 60 and other language arts instruction in elementary school classrooms in west Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, led to the conclusion that many school practices were based upon assumptions of the out-of-school lives of students that were of questionable accuracy. Consequently, the researchers were asked to…

The Experience-Based Career Education (EBCE) program was designed to provide on-site vocational experiences for high-school youth in order to promote: (1) career development skills and knowledge; (2) self-knowledge--interests, abilities, and values; (3) reading skills; (4) problem solving skills; (5) oral communication; (6) writing skills; (7)…

Purpose: In our study, we sought to improve the accuracy of predicting the risk of hospitalization and to identify older, inner-city patients who could be targeted for preventive interventions. Design and Methods: Participants (56% were African American) in a randomized trial were from a primary care practice and included 1,041 patients living in…