Examined memory functions in individuals with and without autism. Found that the group with autism performed significantly worse than the nonautistic group on temporal order memory, source memory, supraspan free recall, working memory and executive function but not on short- and long-term recognition, cued recall, or new learning ability. (MOK)

Examined the associations among speech perception, phonological awareness, naming speed, verbal memory, and word reading. Multiple measures were administered to 136 3rd- and 4th-grade children. Results indicated that naming speed was particularly highly associated with speech perception, whereas phonological awareness was substantially correlated…

Examined the expression of shame and pride in maltreated and nonmaltreated children. Subjects were 84 4- and 5-year-olds and their mothers. Found that maltreated girls showed more shame when they failed and less pride when they succeeded than nonmaltreated girls. (MOK)

Investigated mothers and children's concepts of children's areas of personal discretion, autonomy, and individuality. Findings indicated that mothers viewed their roles as educators and nurturers and valued the development of individuality in their children. Gender differences were found in the ways mothers characterized boys' and girls'…

Argues that developmental significance of friendships cannot be examined without distinguishing between the concepts of having friends, the identity of the child's friends, and friendship quality. Concludes that the identity of the child's friends and friendship quality may be more closely tied to developmental outcomes than merely whether the…

Introduces eight articles on the effects of ethnic and political violence on child development and discusses the need for research in this area. Maintains that children who are exposed to ethnic and political violence are more likely to develop a variety of difficulties, including mental health disorders, behavior problems, sleep disturbances, and…

Compared 64 inner-city Los Angeles preschoolers' spontaneous story narratives, recorded immediately after the 1992 riots, with narratives told by a matched comparison group of 128 preschoolers living in other cities. Found that children with direct exposure to the riots told more narratives with aggressive thematic content than did the comparison…

Interviewed 150 Palestinian mothers and their children living amidst the Intifada uprising in what was then the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Found that the number of risks present in a child's life was significantly correlated with the number of behavioral problems the child exhibited. Under conditions of high accumulated risk, boys evidenced more…

Three cohorts of South African high school students in the black township of Alexandra completed questionnaires on township life in 1987, 1989, and 1992, respectively. In all three contexts youth reported a high exposure to violence. When the violence occurred in the context of intracommunity conflict (in 1992) it was construed to be the most…

Examined the mental health role of ideological commitment among 385 Israeli Jewish children ages 10 through 13 years. Found that exposure to political hardship (living in a border town or West Bank settlement subject to attack) did not increase anxiety, insecurity, and depression among children who showed strong ideological commitment. (MDM)

Interviewed 224 Lebanese children and adolescents using measures of war exposure, mental health symptoms, adaptational outcomes, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Found that the number of war traumas experienced by the subject was positively related to PTSD symptoms and that various types of war traumas were differentially related to PTSD,…

Examined the mental health and psychosocial development of 58 Guatemalan Mayan children living in 2 refugee camps in the Mexican state of Chiapas. Found only minimal evidence of psychological trauma among the children and a positive relationship between children's mental health and the health status (physical and mental) of their mothers. (MDM)

Interviewed 170 Cambodian refugee youth and 80 of their mothers living in Portland, Oregon, regarding posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the stress of war, resettlement, and recent life events. A consistent relationship between earlier war trauma, resettlement stress, and symptoms of PTSD was found. In contrast, the strongest relationship to…

Assessed the causes ascribed by 60 Israeli 4th- and 9th-graders for the Arab-Israeli conflict and the relationship of these attributions to their expectations and emotions. Found that adolescents tended to view causes as more constant or less fluctuating over time than did younger children. Results support an attributional model for understanding…

Reviews the findings of the eight studies in this special section on children and ethnic/political violence, focusing on the contributions and limitations of research in this area and suggestions for future research. (MDM)