Toddler triads were observed on consecutive days, with ample and scarce toy resources. Two-year-olds were more likely to resolve conflicts by sharing when toys were scarce rather than ample. Triads with older children or two boys were more likely than other triads to resolve disputes in prosocial ways. (BC)

Responds to Maccoby's and Hinde's commentaries on the Belsky, et al. article in this issue. Highlights several points of concurrence and disagreement. Draws attention to the potential benefits of asking questions about proximal and ultimate causation simultaneously and, thus, the need for child developmentalists to think about both the how and why…

The association between boys' peer relations, antisocial behavior, academic skill deficits, and family ecology was examined. Two cohorts of boys and their families were interviewed, observed in the home, and assessed in school. (PCB)

Results give considerable support to the hypothesis that most of the relation between marital conflict and adolescent adjustment problems can be explained by perturbations in the parent-child relationship. Results also suggest that mediational patterns are different for intact and divorced families, and that the model used best fits the context of…

Examined the nature of repetitive, ritualistic, and compulsive-like behaviors in typically developing and children and individuals with Down Syndrome (DS), matched on mental age (MA). Found that that both groups showed similar MA-related changes in compulsive-like behaviors. Younger children showed more compulsive-like behaviors than older.…

Examined whether links between marital relations and six- to nine-year olds' adjustment were mediated by children's emotional security. Latent variable path analysis results supported theoretical pathway whereby marital dysfunction was linked with adjustment problems as mediated by emotional insecurity regarding parental conflicts. Emotional…

Examined processes in socialization that might account for an observed relationship between early socioeconomic status (SES) and later child behavior problems. Subjects were 585 children, followed from preschool to grade 3. Found that SES in preschool significantly predicted teacher-rated externalizing problems and peer-rated aggressive behavior.…

Examined cognitive and socioemotional development of 733 children from age 4 until age 8 as a function of quality of their preschool experiences. Found evidence that care quality has a modest long-term effect on cognitive and socioemotional development at least through kindergarten. Classroom practices related to language and academic skills. The…

This study examined the degree to which members in two-parent two-child families of adolescents influenced one another. Social relations analyses indicated that characteristics of the partner and the unique actor-partner "fit" were systematic sources of interpersonal influence, and that reciprocal influence was present in most family…

This study examined, in 3 cohorts (1990, 1998, and 2002) of elementary school children (M age10 years), relations between social functioning and adjustment in different phases of the societal transition in China. Data were obtained from multiple sources. The results indicate that sociability-cooperation was associated with peer acceptance and…

This 2-year longitudinal study examined, in a sample of Chinese children (initial M age=11 years), the moderating effects of the peer group on relations between maternal supportive parenting and social and school adjustment. Data were collected from multiple sources including peer assessments, teacher ratings, school records, and maternal reports.…

In an attempt to examine the general school culture, this study compares and contrasts the normative classroom environments of five types of public schools: urban, rural, suburban, vocational, and alternative. The Classroom Environment Scale (CES) was given in 409 classrooms, and the classrooms were grouped by type of school for analysis.…

Three vignettes describing characters who exhibited disordered (antisocial, withdrawn, or self-punitive) behavior were read to second-, fourth-, and sixth-grade children. The children were asked what caused the behaviors, whether characters wanted to behave as they did, and whether and how characters could change their behavior. (Author/JMB)

Reports a study and its replication which examined the effects of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic learning environments on the subsequent spontaneous self- and other-enhancement of 234 children between the ages of 8 and 10 years. (JMB)

Examines home environments of children aged ten and eleven when they were six months and two years old. Significant correlations were observed between the home environments at two and ten years, children's achievement test scores, and classroom behavior. Home environment at six months was related to a minimal number of classroom behaviors. (RJC)