Cultural differences in interpersonal attraction were studied using 93 black, 112 Chicano, and 112 white college students who completed 40 Likert-type rating scales for each of four concepts of attraction (intimate, friendship, acquaintance, and stranger attraction). When a factor solution was generated, differences were noted in the amount of…

The theme of this report is that recent theory and research related to the cognitive domain of children's comprehension of stories have implications for the social domain of children's understanding of interpersonal interaction, since there are important overlaps between the abilities necessary to comprehend stories about social events and those…

This study attempted to determine the relationships between the dramatic play of children aged three to seven and their self-concept; between dramatic play and two components of self-concept--self-esteem and identification with friends; between dramatic play ability and self-concept; and between dramatic play and the teacher's attitude toward…

A basic introduction to human relations for the kindergarten child is provided in this teacher's guide. The main generalization for the unit is "School is a place where children with different backgrounds meet and work together. Each child contributes his experiences to the group." Some of the supporting ideas in the unit are: 1) Children in…

This book presents information as to how teenagers select their friends. Material was garnered through a review of the literature and hundreds of interviews. The book opens with a focus on how teenagers make friends, and includes such issues as the power of self, finding groups, peer impact, the merging process, seeking significance, and putting…

This manual describes the buddy skills training program, which provides teachers with a set of tested strategies designed to facilitate interactions and support the development of friendships between preschoolers with and without disabilities. The training procedures are philosophically based on social exchange theory. To support the concept of…

Research on the social and cognitive effects of grouping children in mixed-age versus same-age classrooms is gaining interest among practitioners and researchers. This investigation used a teacher rating scale to assess children's prosocial, aggressive, and friendship behaviors in mixed- and same-age classrooms. Confounding variables such as the…

Noting that parents and educators need to place greater emphasis on teaching children values, this book shows parents, teachers, and group leaders how to work as a team to teach the values young children need to lead happy, "value-able" lives. The book's introduction defines values and presents a rationale for teaching values to young…

This study examined the degree to which adolescent self-system processes (self-efficacy, emotional reactivity) and reports of mothers' and fathers' behavior (warmth/support, hostility) predict adolescents' behavior toward siblings and their friends' problem behavior. Subjects were 76 seventh-grade adolescents who provided self-reports of parent…

Assessed Canadian young adolescents' peer relationships as students moved from grade 6 in small elementary schools to middle-level schools offering grades 7 to 12. Found that girls experienced greater instability in reciprocated friendships than boys. Found that girls, more so than boys, lost old friendships and formed new friendships with…

This article describes the Dina Dinosaur Social, Emotional and Problem Solving Child Training Program for young children with conduct problems. The program emphasizes training children in skills such as emotional literacy, empathy or perspective taking, friendship and communication skills, anger management, interpersonal problem solving, and…

Interviews and home observations examined friendships of 28 children (ages 3-10) with disabilities. Children with the greatest amount of contact with friends had disabilities that were mainly physical, while children with behavior problems and cognitive limitations had the fewest peer interactions. Children living in isolated areas had more…

Investigated interactional properties and developmental functions of the following four types of aggressive behaviors in adolescents: social aggression, direct relational aggression, physical aggression, and verbal aggression. Found that the majority of conflict interactions involved more than a dyad, and that social aggression was an initiating…

Reviews the research presented in this issue and its implications for classroom practice. The topics include sex-role stereotyping and cultural diversity in award-winning picture books for children; children's storytelling; parent involvement and quality of day care; cultural-familial predictors of children's metacognitive and academic…

This exploratory research describes results of a thematic literature-based unit in an upper elementary, self-contained class for students with learning disabilities. Social and collaborative activities included reading, writing, and speaking on the topic of friendship. Literacy outcomes are illustrated in three case histories. (DB)