This review of the male preponderance in the prevalence of learning disabilities examines such factors as gender-related etiology differences and learning style differences; complications of pregnancy and infancy; effects of male hormones on the nervous system; and sex differences in maturity rates. (JDD)

Three studies examined naturalistic concepts of moral maturity in young through older adults to develop a more comprehensive understanding of moral excellence than in dominant theories. Findings indicated that naturalistic notions of moral excellence contained themes of principled reasoning, also referenced aspects of moral character and virtue…

Analyzed the discourse of 9- to 12-year-olds on the subject of their development, creating an ethnographic account of the meaning of development in peer culture. The interviewed children distinguished a linear concept of development as both a natural process and a goal. Their discourse continually reconceptualized the relations between the sexes…

Thirty-nine young adults' experiences in the eight years following their college graduation reveal possible conditions that promote complex interpersonal development between ages 22 and 30. Stories of how two participants acquired the internal identities needed to develop mutual relationships with others are used to depict cocurricular…

Positive rites of passage are sorely lacking in today's society. In our culture, teenagers experience several passages: the major transformation at puberty, a challenging transition from middle to high school, and completion of high school. Two programs show how educators can guide students from adolescence to responsible adulthood. (MLH)

Widening participation initiatives tend to focus on raising the aspirations of the working class rather than changing educational cultures. However, any analysis must take account of the role of the educational institution itself in creating and perpetuating inequalities. Participation in higher education (HE) is an inherently more risky, costly…

This study considered the interrelationships among biological maturation and its physical correlates, social physique anxiety, and appearance-related physical self-perceptions in 113 adolescent female figure skaters participating in solo (n = 73) or partner contexts (n = 40). Participants were interviewed about their menarcheal status, underwent a…

The association of pubertal maturation with internalizing and externalizing symptoms was examined with a sample of 867 African-American 10-12-year-old children. Children reported their pubertal development status and timing using a self-report questionnaire, and symptoms were assessed through diagnostic interviews with the children and their…

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to compare the performance of distance-learning students in a Small Business Management (SBM) course with that of internal (on-campus) students, and to examine students' demographics and information processing systems for their moderating effects on performance of each student group.…

Since last year's campus demonstrations, many Chinese academic officials agree that university students are socially and politically immature and have little experience with workers, work, or the complexities of the reforms being undertaken in China. (MSE)

The premise that effects of maturational timing are mediated by social context is explored by comparing adolescent girls in dance and nondance schools. The findings are discussed in terms of a goodness of fit between the requirements of a social context and a person's physical and behavioral characteristics. (Author/LMO)

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)

No significant differences in language skills, social maturity, or self-concept were found for 36 trainable mentally retarded (TMR) elementary students placed in a semi-integrated school environment and 36 TMR Ss in a nonintegrated setting. Concerns regarding assessment of TMR children were noted. (CL)

Describes the application by principals of situational leadership concepts to reduce conflict among groups participating in decision making. Factors covered include maturity levels of participants, flexibility of leadership style, and possible variations in conflict management strategies appropriate to different maturity levels of participants.…

Investigates the influence of social reinforcement, modeling, direct reinforcement, and words and images on the acquisition of career-related preferences. Students identified social reinforcement as the most important antecedent for their career preference. Career decision making skills mediate the influence of models and direct reinforcement on…