Tested the hypothesis that preschool children between 2 1/2 and 6 1/2 years of age would progress though a stepwise sequence of developing ever-clearer boundaries between fantasy and reality. Findings supported the validity of the hypothesized sequence. (RH)

Speech-action coordination in 100 three and four year olds was measured according to a modified version of Wozniak's hammering-board task. Four instructional conditions (instructional, demonstration, vocalization, no vocalization) were presented in a numerical task ("Hit four times") and in two spatial tasks: three-color ("Hit red,…

Examines children's memory for preschool routines as a function of current grade level and successive modifications in the school-day script. First, children in preschool through third grade were tested, then children in kindergarten through third grade. Results showed a process of generalization for preschool scripts over time. (Author/BB)

Preschool children transferring to new schools were observed during a two-week period prior to separation from classmates. "Anticipatory" reactions by departing children were similar to behaviors noted in young children separated from their mothers during the mother's hospitalization for the birth of another child. (Author/RH)

The correspondence of left-right confusion in children to the bilateral symmetry in the nervous system was tested by presenting left-right and up-down discrimination-learning tasks to 80 preschoolers who viewed these stimuli from either an upright or 90-degree-rotated body position. The data contradict anatomical model predictions. (Author/BN)

Examines social fantasy play in relation to several indices of social competence in a sample of 91 preschoolers (ages 35 to 69 months). Results indicate the amount and complexity of fantasy play significantly predicted four competency measures: teacher ratings of peer social skill, popularity, affective role taking, and a behavioral summary score…

Two studies involving five- and nine-year-old children examined the effects of planning with a partner as well as the relation of collaborative planning to subsequent solo planning. Results suggest that cognitive gains resulting from joint problem solving between children and adults or peers may be more likely with shared task responsibility. (RH)

To investigate affective and dispositional factors in the motivation of children's helping, 60 children ranging from preschool to sixth grade were observed in laboratory distress incidents. Results indicated that helping tended to be positively correlated with positive affect and negatively correlated with negative and neutral affect. (Author/RH)

Comparing 969 economically disadvantaged children attending Head Start, other preschools, or no preschool, this study assessed the Project's effectiveness. Findings indicated that Head Start provided an especially enriching preschool experience, and was an impressive instrument of short-term change in children. Gains in behaviors other than…

Experiment 1 examined the position that mirror-image confusions reflect an inability among three- to five-year-olds to determine whether their performance level differences reflect differences among nonreaders already attending and those not yet attending to reading cues. Experiment 2 examined the Experiment 1 four- and five-year-olds, identified…

Examines the immediate and long term effects of sociometric testing on preschool children's peer interactions. Positive and negative nomination as well as rating-scale sociometric measures were administered individually to children from two preschool classrooms, and behavioral observations of peer interactions were conducted before, after, and…

Concepts of body parts and their relationships were assessed in children ages three, four, and five, as well as in adults. Three specific questions were addressed: (1) What do children understand about such "partonomic" relations? (2) Is there an order in the acquisition of partonomic concepts? and (3) Do children exhibit any confusions in their…

Evaluates the relative contribution of a number of child characteristics to the prediction of social acceptance. Predictor variables included positive social interactions, occupied behavior when not interacting, mental age, chronological age, and sex. Results supported the efficacy of helping social isolates to interact positively with peers.…

Examined parents' responses to emotional distress in their preschool children and assessed the relation of these responses to children's competence. Data on parent-child interactions was collected for 30 families by means of home observations, parent self-reports, observer ratings, and child interviews. Preschool competence was assessed by teacher…

Investigates preschoolers' knowledge of counting principles by examining their ability to discriminate between features essential for correct counting and features typically present but unessential. Skill in executing the standard counting procedure was found to precede knowledge of the underlying principle. (Author/AS)