Sixty children, ages 2-4, observed videotaped, same-sex models perform sequences of skills requiring different levels of motor development. When asked to imitate one act from each sequence, children tended to imitate skills at their own developmental level rather than skills above or below their current level of competence. (Author/SJL)

Validation of the Minnesota Rate of Manipulation Test in assessing permanent hand disability was determined using 118 persons with permanent impairments. Four subtests were given. Scores for the impaired hand on each subtest were strongly correlated with the rating of disability on a traditional American Medical Association measure. (Author/CM)

Analyses of 109 drug-abusing adolescents indicated that inhalant abusers performed significantly more poorly than polydrug abusers on 20 of 67 neuropsychological measures. Deficits were observed on both global (WAIS and WRAT) and specific measures (perception of speech sounds, visual suppression, sensory perception, and trails). (Author/SJL)

Examined the movement characteristics of 41 meningomyelocele children through administration of 13 items from the Southern California Sensory Integration Test. Three factors of movement ability emerged: one describing a pattern representing both constructional and gestural apraxia; the second indicative of bilateral coordination; and the third…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the structure of motor proficiency in a sample of 765 children between the ages of 4 1/2 to 14 1/2 years. The study was conducted as one aspect of the standardization of a motor proficiency scale, the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. (Author/SJL)

To examine language performance and its subskills, the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities were administered to 30 three- and four-year-old children. The contradictory findings of verbal performance examined by age suggests that component skills contributing to verbal language behavior may vary significantly with age in the preschool years.…

This study tested the extension of Schmidt's schema theory to the relationship between fine and gross motor skills. Fifty-two preschoolers were tested on 10 isomorphically related pairs of fine and gross motor tasks. When age was partialled out, results showed significant covariation among 6 of the 10 task pairs. (Author/SJL)

Apparent ambiguities in Levy and Reid's writing posture criteria and dissimilar criteria used by other investigators are discussed. This review suggests that an adequate test of hypothesized relations among handedness, hand posture during writing, sex, and cerebral organization requires development of a standard set of valid criteria for writing…

Forty-five children, ages seven to eight, were required to catch playground balls of various sizes and colors. The smallest ball (6 inches) was caught significantly better than larger ones. Although the main effect for color was nonsignificant, children caught preferred-color balls significantly better than others. Males caught better than…

Multiple regression equations were generated to predict cognitive achievement for 40 children (ages 57 to 68 months) one year after administration of a battery of six perceptual and perceptual-motor tests to determine if previous results from Toledo could be replicated. (Author)

Self-concept and selected movement skills of third-grade children were examined following eight-week programs of physical education. While data did not clearly show effects of these programs on self-concept or movement, some findings provide support for statements from the literature. (Author)

The effect of uncertainty of movement increased reaction time and movement time significantly in a simple task of running for mildly retarded eight- and ten-year old children. No change in performance was noted for normal children. (Author/PN)

Sixth graders performed a variety of physical activities over a three-week period. They then completed a program evaluator card for which name identification was optional. No relation was found between self-evaluation of motor abilities and choosing to sign the program. Motor abilities and self-concept were not related. (Author/RD)

Girls in Grades 7, 8, and 9 practiced mirror-tracing in a neutral colored room to a criterion before being tested in their preferred or nonpreferred colored rooms. The errors decreased significantly in the preferred room, while the time to complete changed minimally. (Author)

The effects of social reinforcement on two motor tasks by 40 retarded adolescents with high (8.09 yr.) and low (5.45 yr.) mental ages was investigated. Social reinforcement influenced persistence but not speed of performance. The effectiveness of praise on retarded subjects' performances varies with the type of motor task used. (Author/RD)