Nisan responds to Turiel, Nucci, and Smetana's (1988) critique by stating that it merely serves to emphasize the difficulty involved in distinguishing between the moral and the conventional without reference to the cultural meaning of the act. (PCB)

Analyzes the exploratory patterns of 112 children ages 4 to 12, using visual and auditory stimuli and toy preference and toy exploration tasks. Finds that a preference for complexity and for unknown toys increases with age and notes age differences in exploratory patterns and question-asking behavior. (Author/CB)

Reports two studies of infant exploration. In the first, age and characteristics of the object stimuli influenced 6-, 9- and 12-month-olds who manipulated a series of objects. Results of the second study suggested that different kinds of manipulation are used to explore changes in shape, texture, and weight. (Author/CB)

Examines mastery of spatial-transposition problems by 20-, 30-, and 42-month-old children. Subjects performed well on irrelevant transpositions of three cups. However, on relevant transpositions the correct cup was not selected until 42 months. Results suggest that children initially acquire search patterns on an experimental basis and gradually…

Compares the responses of four-month-olds in two situations, one in which a moving peripheral stimulus follows a central fixation stimulus and another where the peripheral stimulus is simultaneous with the central fixation. Simultaneous presentation decreases visual orientation to the peripheral stimulus, but cardiac data indicate that the…

Investigates the organization of searching by 21- and 27-month-old children who were required to remember where a toy had been hidden. Initial search behavior on "surprise" trials was less persistent than behavior on error trials. Subsequent search behavior on "surprise" trials was selective and intelligent for older children. (Author/CB)

Provides guidance for facilitating the televised communication of research results to the general public. Summarizes a project in which developmental psychologists jointly produced a series of 20 short news features. Suggestions are given on how developmental psychologists can be more effective sources for local news, talk shows, and…

Investigates the effects of pronutrition television programing on kindergarteners' nutritional knowledge, food preferences, and eating habits. Children were exposed to ten 20-minute videotapes over a period of 10 class days. Results suggest that children learned the nutrition concepts presented but failed to change food preference or consumption.…

Examines the possible developmental relationship between unimanual handedness and duplicated syllable babbling. Thirty infants were tested at weekly intervals between five months of age and eight weeks after the onset of duplicated syllable babbling. Results suggest developmental change in hemispheric specialization or at least asymmetrical…

Investigates hemispheric asymmetries in children for processing auditory material which varies in emotional intonation or verbal content. Children in kindergarten, fourth, and eighth grades reported on the emotional and verbal content of dichotically presented sentences. Findings indicate that the right hemisphere is specialized for mediating…

Investigates the relationship between the perinatal hormonal environment and the development of cognitive sex differences. Compares 25 upper class women aged 14 to 24 who were exposed prenatally to diethylstilbestrol (DES) and their unexposed sisters. Subjects show a more masculine pattern of lateralization than their sisters but are similar in…

Examines hemispheric differences in processing tachistoscopically presented faces in right-handed 8-, 11-, and 13-year-olds. Concludes that younger children and males at all ages use a diffuse right-hemisphere processing strategy in recognizing faces, whereas some older females use a more integrated right-hemispheric strategy. (Author/CB)

Examines the prosodic characteristics of "motherese" in the speech of 24 German mothers. Each subject was recorded while addressing (1) her three- to five-day-old baby, (2) the absent infant, as if present, and (3) the adult interviewer. Several hypotheses regarding short and long term effects of "motherese" are discussed. (Author/CB)

Demonstrates that both male and female neonates habituate and dishabituate to repeated and novel speech sounds. Results of a head-turning sound-localization task with 24 full-term neonates showed two basic processes: spatial orientation to sounds and response decrement to repeated speech sounds followed by response increment to novel speech…

Compares the response of preterm and full-term infants to moving objects presented with or without accompanying sound. Finds differences in attention and recognition between full-terms and preterms at three months of age. At six months of age only high-risk preterms showed different responses than full-terms, suggesting that they are at a…