Examines the temporal relationship between child abuse and children's illnesses by analyzing hospital records of 11 abused children and 6 of their siblings, 14 neglected children, 31 children with nonorganic failure to thrive and 24 control children. Results suggest that having ill children is a source of stress that may trigger abuse. (Author/CB)

Two studies were conducted to (1) develop measure of infants' executive capacity, defined as difference between infants' most sophisticated level of functioning displayed first in free and then in elicited play and (2) to test several hypotheses regarding relationship between these performance and competence measures of child functioning and home…

A sample of five sites of recent urban renewal activity in Sandwell, West Midlands, U.K. formed the basis for an audit survey of the nature and degree of associated change in a broad set of physical, built, and infrastructure environmental parameters. Data were mostly derived from questionnaire surveys of professionals with specific environmental…

Musical aptitude and behavioral adjustment were assessed in 16 mentally retarded adults nominated as having special musical interests and/or skills. Evidence of difficulties in adjustment associated with musical skill or interest was mixed, though results suggested no pervasive maladjustment among those with exceptional skill combined with mental…

Reviews recent research on: (1) the causes of childhood stress; (2) ways in which teachers can help; (3) available resources concerning children's stress; and (4) coping techniques of resilient children. (RJC)

Describes a study of temperature variations over different surfaces in an urban campus setting. Explains that researchers sampled temperatures over grass, bare soil, gravel, concrete, and blacktop. Reports that grassy areas registered the highest morning temperatures and lowest afternoon temperatures. (SG)

Following the example of William James, reintroduces purpose into the study of behavior. Explains control theory as a model of systems that produce fixed, intended results in an unpredictable, changing environment, differentiating this process from objective, cause-effect models. Diagrams behavior models. Emphasizes perception's role in the…

Evaluation of the home environments of 64 families of children with severe disabilities 7 and 9 years after the initial assessment found a high degree of stability, especially on the Family Environment Scale (FES). However, internal consistency reliability of the FES was lower for these families than in the standardization samples. (Contains…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the teaching beliefs of non-formal environmental educators who work in state and local parks. Findings reveal that teaching beliefs are much more complex than purported in the literature. Three broad insights are offered: including roles and responsibilities of the non-formal environmental educator,…

Because technology in the home is becoming ever more available, understanding the role of technology in early childhood development is increasingly an opportunity and a concern for educators. This report examines data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99, to provide an overview of the role of technology in the…

This study investigated the ability of student inputs, student involvements, and college environments to predict seven groups of academic majors. The research was conducted using a sample of college sophomores extracted from High School and Beyond 1982 follow-up cohort, N=43,614 (weighted). Among the findings of the hierarchical discriminant…

The need for postsecondary educational programs for handicapped people is increasing, and colleges and universities need to provide access to postsecondary education. In addition to providing access, they also need to ensure that handicapped individuals are accommodated in the social and educational environment of college. However, it appears that…

Reviews a research project in which, using library and computer resources, students compiled a comparison profile of selected physical, social, and economic characteristics of Morocco and California. The students evaluated the relative role of environmental variables in influencing the human geography of the two regions. (MJP)

Reports on a study of 640 Russian secondary students and 140 teachers on their attitudes about schools and schooling. Finds that both students and teachers agree that the primary goal of education should be to transmit the culture and prepare people for decision making. Also finds that forced participation in extracurricular programs caused…

This paper describes the Manifold Access Model, which has been developed for the simultaneous representation and analysis of the interrelationships between five variable clusters: (1) computer access; (2) personal and social attitudes and values with respect to computer use; (3) self-assessed competence and confidence with respect to computer use;…