Observed 12-month olds, with their mothers and independently, acting on objects from home and objects brought by the experimenter as new exemplars of previous toys. Found that conventional actions were more frequent in joint than in independent activity. In independent activity, conventional actions were more frequent with customary than with…

Used Learning Process Questionnaire to examine urban South African students' endorsement of various learning approaches. Found that strategies used by students in Western educational contexts were similar to those used by African counterparts. Urban South African responses, compared with counterparts from Nigeria, Australia, and Hong Kong,…

Examined maternal reports to determine relationship between parent-infant bed sharing and 2- to 4-month-olds' behavior. Found that 85.8% of infants slept alone; the rest slept with either one or both parents. Solitary sleepers had more positive mood and were more persistent than cosleepers, even with potential confounders controlled. Infants…

Froebel's major projects at Keilhau and Blankenburg were radically dissimilar. A mistaken conflation of the two emerged in Britain that was less suited to public child welfare than to private education, and this contributed to an apartheid between early child care and child education, whereas Germany developed the Blankenburg project with an…

Compared Greek and Scottish preschool staff responses to questionnaire regarding sexuality and sex education. Found that staff agreed on importance of sexual development, some long-term aims of sex education, and the moral dimension of sex education. Staff differed in extent to which they thought families and preschools should provide sex…

Used qualitative data from structured written diaries and observational data to compare the typical work performed during one day by child care staff, early childhood teachers, and administrators in England. Content analyses revealed a picture of the complexity of work, highlighting similarities and differences in work by people with different job…

Investigated the relationship between joint attention and toddler's race, sex, and SES. Found that joint attention related to a "persisting" mother, whether or not the toddler accepted the initial maternal bid. Females engaged in joint attention bouts and nonpersistent maternal responses after the bid was accepted more often than males. Race and…

Used projective techniques to examine trends in the psychic state of juvenile delinquents. Found that delinquents showed greater signs of psychopathology than a normal control group. Those tested in 1981-84 displayed depression and identity diffusion, in contrast to those tested in 1990-98, who showed dissolution anxiety, lack of attachment…

Examined how reading attitudes of Year 6 boys in British primary schools were influenced by gender issues, peers, and peer group culture. Found that confidence and experience shown in private reading was at odds with boys' public attitudes in discussion with peers. Suggests that siblings and adults might provide more positive role models for…

Evaluated effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral parenting program for parents of children ages 1 to 5 years offered through community-based family resource centers. Found that participants showed significant decreases in use of verbal and corporal punishment, and increases in nurturing behaviors as measured by the Parent Behavior Checklist.…

The infant-and-toddler child-care program at the Child and Family Research Center at University of Nevada, Reno, is based on children's need for consistent, stable, and reliable adult care. Children stay with the same primary caregiver for the first three years. Four broad themes of the program are: attachment and trust, teacher-parent relations,…

Investigated use of standardized questionnaires to establish organizational characteristics of group day-care providers in self-assessments. Examined processes by which nurseries instigate group discussing of self-assessment procedures, establish priorities for change, develop action plans, and implement change. Identified several suitable…

Investigated coping strategies of mothers of children 8 to 19 years old with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Survey responses produced three factors: aggressive/confrontive coping, rational coping, and indirect coping, which were similar to established coping dimensions. Comparison with responses from mothers of non-ADHD children…

Investigated attitude changes resulting from the Child Development Associate (CDA) program, a competency-based teacher-education program to prepare early childhood personnel to maintain a state of harmonious relations with children through mutual affection and sympathetic understanding. Program participants' responses to the Minnesota Teacher…

Examines understanding of the British National Curriculum for English at Key Stage 2. Surveys literature and teachers' experiences to determine what primary teachers understand by English subject knowledge, how they think it should be taught, and how they think pupils learn English most effectively. Considers definition of basic skills and the…