Factors which aid an individual's progression from one stage of moral reasoning to another remain a mystery. Theorists suggest that intraception, defined as a predominance of feeling, fantasy, and aspirations (connoting a humanistic outlook and an ability to develop role-taking skills) as opposed to a down-to-earth, skeptical attitude, may be an…

Reviews the major transitional object (TO) theories in terms of origin, development, and psychological meaning. Examines the validity of TO (intense, persistent attachments young children develop for blankets, soft toys, and bits of cloth) theory in light of current empirical knowledge of TO behavior. (HOD)

Examines the development of, and interrelations among, three types of autonomy during the transition from childhood into adolescence: emotional autonomy in relationships with parents, resistance to peer pressure, and the subjective sense of self-reliance. (HOD)

Discusses research on human development from an interactional perspective; methodological problems connected with interindividual differences in biological maturation (using empirical studies from a longitudinal program); and major implications for further development research in an interactional perspective. (Author/BE)

This study explored the moral reasoning and scientific argumentation skills of 31 gifted Finnish adolescents participating in a science program at the University of Helsinki. Students were given the Defining Issues Test (DIT) to determine their level of moral reasoning and the Raven test to evaluate their scientific reasoning. The argumentation…

Developmental Record protocols were obtained from archival files for 1,069 institutionalized mentally retarded adults and children. Analyses revealed high internal reliabilities, but questionable validity. The Developmental Record did not adequately discriminate the five areas of functioning it purportedly assesses (self-care, perceptual-motor,…

Describes two studies involving chimpanzee mother-infant pairs in Tanzania between 1980 and 1987 that implemented control theory concepts. The first identified behavioral development in infant chimps; the second observed the growth of independence and parenting patterns. Concludes that the hierarchy of controlled variables develops consecutively…

The conceptualizations of morphogenic processes suggested by systems theorists provide a useful framework for describing growth and development in complex adaptive self-directing organisms. These processes involve changes in (1) a system's structure, state, or functioning; (2) discontinuities in development; and (3) at least two kinds of…

Research has defined the various adaptive, compensatory and complementary functions of dreams. To investigate the evidence of adaptive functioning in the dream state, 30 medical students (21 males, 9 females) from St. George's University, Grenada, completed personal surveys, a waking psychological profile, and a dreaming psychological profile…

Shostrom (1971) has identified a type of marriage in which self-actualizing couples do not simply accept their socially defined roles, but instead develop personality traits and values that are consistent with their own psychological health and that of the couple relationship. Antill (1983) found evidence for the importance of high scores in…

Self-definition is a thought pattern, scored from imaginative fantasy, which is related to constructive behavioral independence of social norms. Research has shown that self-definition seems related to the opportunity for operant initiative-taking, especially when active and less sex-stereotyped activities are chosen. Senior college women (N=118)…

Experimental group mothers reported significantly greater self-confidence and satisfaction with mothering and more favorable perception of infant temperament than did control group mothers. Differences between children on cognitive scores became significant at 36 and 48 months of age, when the experimental group caught up with normal children. (RH)

To determine the impact of quantitative and qualitative aspects of fathering, relationships among father involvement in childrearing, parenting characteristics, and child adaptation were investigated. Results from 70 infants 20 months of age and their parents highlighted the salience of qualitative characteristics of parenting for toddler…

Much has been written on the self during the latter half of the twentieth century, a period when citizens of the free world have embraced self-esteem and the pursuit of self-interest as fundamental entitlements. This widespread interest in the self has produced a large amount of information and misinformation. This book aims to summarize the…

Major life changes and role transitions, though often treated as stressors necessitating adjustment, in fact produce a wide range of effects on mental health. Focusing on the role context within which transition events occur, finds that life transitions can be nonproblematic or even beneficial when preceded by chronic role problems. (AF)