In the early nineteenth century, governments began to develop specialized educational programs--kindergartens and infant or nursery schools--to give children a head start in life. These programs hinged on new visions of childhood that originated in England and Europe, but what happened when they were transported to the colonies? This book unwinds…

Two experiments assessed the importance of form versus function in 2-year-old infants' categorizations. Nonsense objects were constructed to independently vary form and function. Adults differentially directed subjects' attention to one or the other stimulus dimension. It was hypothesized that children's conceptualizations would vary as a function…

This book is a rare peek into the divergent--and at times contentious--points of view among world's leading researchers on what the condition of mental retardation is and how it should be defined, measured, and implemented in the 21st century. It is a candid and insightful collection of essays from experts on issues ranging from whether mental…

Differing theoretical approaches to the study of emotions are presented: emotions as private (psychodynamic approaches); emotions as sociocultural phenomena (social constructionist approaches); and a third perspective (interactionist approaches) transcending these two. These approaches have important methodological implications in studying…

Increasingly, researchers in the areas of eating disorders and obesity prevention are recognizing the benefits of collaborative efforts aimed at curbing the spectrum of eating-related disturbances. Research suggests that eating disorders and overweight tend to co-occur, and that individuals cross over from one eating-related disturbance to…

Argues that linguistic communication allows the incorporation of individual, microsociological, and macrosociological levels of analysis into a general theory of action. (RH)

Examined whether an infant's reaction to a stranger would be indirectly influenced by the infant observing a stranger-third party interaction. Subjects were 45 15-month-old infants. Results suggest indirect effects influence social interactions and show that significant others can play an important role in mediating these effects. (Author/RH)

The article reviews psychosocial treatments for phobic and anxiety disorders in youth. Using criteria from Nathan and Gorman (2002), 32 studies are evaluated along a continuum of methodological rigor. In addition, the treatments evaluated in each of the 32 studies are classified according to Chambless et al.'s (1996) and Chambless and Hollon's…

We present the results of a literature review of studies on teaching strategies for moral education in secondary schools (1995-2003). The majority of the studies focus on the "what" and "why", i.e. the objectives, of curriculum-oriented moral education. Attention to the instructional formats for enhancing the prosocial and moral development of…

Examines the nature of informal barriers for women who enter and attempt to forge careers in mathematics, proposing a theory on the subject drawn from interactionist sociology and anthropology and which is grounded in a dialectical and interpretative ontological view of society. (JN)

Reviews Walter Feinberg's criticisms of educational critics Allan Bloom and E. D. Hirsch. Supports Feinberg's argument that experimentation is the only course still open in education, but argues that his views are informed by the traditional obscurantism of the educational establishment. (FMW)

Racial and disability identities are separate issues, yet they both contribute to the multiple social identities that influence career counseling outcomes for persons of color with disabilities. Few studies have examined the effects of racial and disability identity on the career outcomes of members of this group. This article discusses racial and…

The purpose of this article for this special issue is to explore the relevance of this collection to educators and researchers who do not identify with mathematics. A secondary focus is to see whether anything in the author's very different knowledge of learning could usefully feedback into the mathematics education field. Behind these tasks lie…

This study explored stability in cognitive and motivational functioning of children from 3 months old to 3.5 years old, as well as stability in the quality of care provided by parents during this time. The purpose was to determine the locus of continuity over time--whether it is within the child or the caregiving environment. A total of 37…

This paper is part of a research project designed to look at questions of giftedness and exceptional ability in the arts through a case study of three world-class artists. Examination of the childhood art of Picasso, Lautrec, and Klee reveals no common subject preferences nor any real anomalies in graphic development. This paper focuses on the…