In many societies the prevalence of behavioural problems in school-aged children varies by national origin. We examined the association between national origin and behavioural problems in 1 1/2-year-old children. Data on maternal national origin and the Child Behavior Checklist for toddlers (n = 4943) from a population-based cohort in the…

Findings indicated that among children between 15 and 35 months observed in a series of play and clean-up tasks, there was a consistent developmental pattern in the extent to which they focused on producing outcomes, and monitored, corrected, and controlled activities, and in the frequency with which they reacted to their outcomes with positive…

Multimethod assessments of temperament were obtained from 89 twins at 18 and 24 months of age. Ratings of subject reaction to restraint and parent ratings of temperament plus coordination of these temperament dimensions with analogous dimensions obtained at 12 months provided evidence of stability of temperament across six-month intervals during…

Discusses strategy-like behaviors in a memory-for-location task found in four studies of 18- to 24-month-old children. Interprets results as evidence of an early natural propensity to keep alive what must be remembered, a rudimentary version of what will later become more elaborate mnemonic strategies. (Author/CB)

To investigate the effect on young children's coding of spatial information, an array of boxes was varied in number, size, and arrangement and was shown to 20 toddlers. Only the number of boxes defining the left and right sides of the array influenced performance; that is, multiple boxes were associated with the use of external objects as spatial…

Investigates the nature of and changes in early memory demands and assesses the relationship between memory demands and memory performance among 10 children 30 and 42 months old and their mothers. Results suggested that mothers' memory demands have an impact on children's memory performance--providing at least partial support for Vygotsky's…

Uses data from Toddler Sign Program, a nine-month program of bimodal input and assessment involving 25 handicapped and nonhandicapped toddlers (11 to 33 months old at program onset). Explores boundary conditions (most extreme conditions under which a phenomenon holds) of sign advantage phenomenon (where signs are learned earlier and more easily…

The study assessed the turntaking skills and pragmatic language skills of 4 mildly to moderately developmentally delayed children (ages 2 and 3) and 14 nondelayed controls. Developmentally delayed children exhibited appropriate turntaking skills but a higher proportion of gestural in contrast to verbal responses to the pragmatic language tasks.…

Examines the relations of levels of task engagement to investigation and visual attention in data from 30-month-old children. Finds significant correlations between task and other mastery behavior. Postulates task engagement as valid assessment of mastery behavior. Suggests the motivation for young children's play is acquisition and mastery of…

The ability of three-year-old children to deceive was examined in order to determine whether they were able to hide their emotional expression intentionally. Results indicated that very young children have begun the process of learning how to mask their emotional expressions and support the role of socialization in this process. (RH)

This study examined consonant cluster production, especially general trends and individual differences, in 16 typically developing 2-year-olds over six months. Data demonstrated that the toddlers could produce an increasing range of consonant clusters in word-initial and word-final position, although few could produce them correctly. Specific…

The relationships among decentration, decontexturalization, and integration in the same children were investigated to reexamine sequences of actor-object play for the purpose of revising and extending previous models. The results contribute to the understanding of complex play by establishing the variability of component relationships and…

Presents four principles which are used within cultures for the organization and elaboration of emotional experience. Proposes these principles as a way to expand the Miller and Sperry (Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 1987) descriptive ethnographic data on the emotional development of three young children in a south Baltimore community. (NH)

Reported are two studies which describe the early development in children of the ability to consider every one of an array of instances. Taken together with other recent studies, the data reveal early development in preschool children of a fundamental, general problem solving skill. (PCB)

Studies 12- to 24-month-olds in a series of videotaped tasks assessing single object manipulation, relational play, pretend play, distractibility and persistence. Develops eight relatively subtle measures of three aspects of individual differences in infant behavior: developmental level, attention span, and exploratory diversity. (Author/NH)