Notes that many researchers have asserted maternal "sensitivity" as the key feature of interactions promoting "secure" attachment relationships. Reviews literature addressing the construct of sensitivity, highlighting the problem of definition and identifying the range of behaviors typically used as indicators of sensitivity. (HTH)

Videotaped social interactions between infants with severe or profound bilateral hearing loss (and using amplification consistently by three to six months of age) and normally hearing peers. Found that severely and profoundly hearing impaired infants can follow a normal pattern of communicative and linguistic development (albeit sometimes delayed)…

Studied adolescent reproductive health services in two Nigerian states. Found that adolescents use health facilities mostly for general health problems. Only 6.1% (south) and 31.8% (north) of cases involved reproductive health, the gap attributable to maternity cases of northern married women. Reproductive health problems such as abortion and…

Reviews findings of studies investigating the perceptions of child care coordinators in Victoria (Australia) about leadership attributes and skills related to effective leadership of early childhood centers. Finds a general and common understanding of leadership characteristics, roles, and responsibilities, with few differences in perception…

Examined data on family patterns in Greece and Sweden covering relations between parents and children, and family and child care settings. Found that Greek mothers stressed the general importance of their children's day care setting program more than did Swedish mothers, particularly concerning the socializing and learning aspects of the program.…

Used interviews and questionnaires to assess preschool teachers' beliefs about the importance of young children's social competence. Found that teachers valued peer competence in early childhood, but academic goals were more frequently valued than social goals. Teachers felt peer competencies were influenced more by the child's inherent nature…

Assessed the classroom and playground behavior of children nominated as either popular or rejected by their peers. Subjects were 631 black South African children between 8 and 12 years old. Found that rejected and popular children did not differ in their initiations of contact with other children, but popular children were the recipients of more…

Investigated understanding and use of numerals in 48 children ages 3 and 4. Found that children rarely noticed the absence of numbers if they were not able to explain their purpose. They used several methods to represent number on notes for the milkman, party invitations, and labels. Results suggest that understanding preceded use of numerals.…

Assesses Kuwait's progress in meeting the needs of autistic children, discussing the roles of governmental and nongovernmental bodies. Gives an account of the two special schools that are currently known to cater to this disorder. Concludes that little information is available to the general public, and makes recommendations to raise the profile…

Illustrates the important roles that fathers and mothers play in helping the family to connect and in encouraging their children's autonomy. Claims that fathers have the same physiological response to an infant's cry and go through the same sequence of earliest parental behaviors as mothers. Concludes that there is no biological imperative…

Examined the relationships between parental stress and the security of attachment relationships. Subjects were 33 mothers of children who were attending a preschool program for high-risk families. Found a negative relationship between the Child Domain section of the Parenting Stress Index and Attachment Q-set scores. Results highlighted the need…

Used surveys to determine the level of computer use in 65 nursery schools and classes. Found that the majority of the nurseries had a computer, and that the child-to-computer ratio was high. Also found that although the staff were trained, their training was often not at a level they would have liked. (MOK)

Reviews the literature on various factors within the mentor-protege relationship that foster preservice teachers' development of competence and self-efficacy belief. Discusses Vygotsky's mediated learning as a factor in the development of mentor-protege and protege teacher efficacy, teacher self-efficacy beliefs, roles and characteristics of…

Compared willingness to participate in a developmental guidance program among 209 intermediate-grade students. Found that Korean American students indicated more comfort in discussing personal problems than Caucasians, while Caucasian students indicated greater comfort in classroom participation than Korean Americans. The groups were similar in…

Examined anti-bias beliefs and practices of early childhood educators working in rural areas with white children. Found that directors and teachers understood accreditation standards and goals of anti-bias curriculum related to gender, disabilities, and rejection of children. Issues with which teachers struggled were cultural diversity and program…