The federal Early Head Start (EHS) program began in 1995, and a randomized trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of 17 EHS programs. In all, 3,001 low-income families (35% African American, 24% Hispanic, and 37% White) with a pregnant women or an infant under the age of 12 months were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group (with…

It is well established that children recognize themselves in mirrors by the end of infancy, showing awareness of the self as an object in the environment. However, the cognitive impact of objective self-awareness requires further elucidation. This gap in the literature is addressed in a series of 7 experiments exploring the role of self in 3- and…

Preschoolers' questions may play an important role in cognitive development. When children encounter a problem with their current knowledge state (a gap in their knowledge, some ambiguity they do not know how to resolve, some inconsistency they have detected), asking a question allows them to get targeted information exactly when they need it.…

Followed up on 570 adolescents studied as preschoolers. Found that preschoolers' viewing of educational television programs was associated with achieving higher grades, reading more books, placing more value on achievement, exhibiting greater creativity, and behaving less aggressively as adolescents more consistently for boys than girls. Found…

Reviews study that tested the long-term influence of early childhood television viewing on adolescent achievement. Focuses on the demonstrated importance of content of television viewing as a predictor for adolescent outcomes, emphasizes the probable magnification of media effects, and suggests expanding well-crafted educational content to the…

Examined recall by 14- to 32-month-olds for multistep event sequences experienced at 13 to 20 months. Found that within step-length groups, there were no age differences in the length of time over which memory was evidenced. With prompts by event-related props, age-related differences in memory appeared. Age-related effects were particularly…

This study examined the development of causal expressions in children's discourse from two to three years of age. Linguistic, contextual, and pragmatic influences on language development were the major factors considered. (CM)

This study describes the developmental function and cross-age pattern of individual differences in mental test behavior during the first 5 years of life. Accompanying the study are brief commentaries by Ina C. Uzgiris and Earl S. Schaefer and a reply by the authors. (JMB)

Reports on a study designed to provide data on developmental and sociolinguistic patterns of interpersonal speech usage from ages 2 to 5 years which may have important implications for poverty school programs. (Author/CS)

Three studies of the 4-year-old's ability to adjust to a listener are reported. Tape recordings were made of conversations with a 2-year-old, peers, and adults. Results revealed that the younger the listener, the greater the tendency for the 4-year-old to use short, simple utterances and to make efforts to attract and sustain attention. (ST)

Describes social processes accounting for variation in unacquainted children's progress toward friendship, presenting results of two studies of children's conversations with peers. The first study involved 26 dyads from three to six years of age, playing in their homes with either a best friend or stranger. The second involved 18 unacquainted…

Investigates children's tendency to return the smile of a friendly stranger in two cultures: Israel and the United States. In the first study, developmental trends in smiling behavior are examined. In the second, mothers' socialization philosophies and childrearing practices are explored in an interview and a conjoint mother/child task. (RH)

Reports seven studies of the acquisition of knowledge about the appearance-reality distinction and suggests some conclusions about the course of conceptual development in this area from early childhood (3 years) to adulthood. (Author/NH)

Tests hypothesis that young children who were anxiously attached would be more likely than securely attached children to have behavior problems in preschool. Examines particular patterns of anxious attachment in relation to specific problem behaviors. Studies child, parental, interactional, and environmental factors that account for behavior…