Reports a series of studies conducted to investigate possible differences in the exploratory manipulation and play behavior of human infants 7-1/2- 11-1/2 months of age as a function of the attributes of the stimulus, the familiarity of the subject with the stimuli, the age and sex of the infants, and individual differences. (Author/CS)

A Self-Concept Scale for Adolescents based on Havighurst's Developmental Tasks for Youth was constructed to reflect the adolescents' perceptions of their ability to achieve these tasks in relation to personal abilities, the abilities of others, and the criteria for successful task completion. A validity and reliability study showed the scale to be…

A questionnaire attempting to define adolescence from the adolescent's view was administered to 300 students, 50 males and 50 females in each of 3 grades (grades 6, 9, and 12). The questionnaire examined (1) ages perceived as dividing points between adolescence, childhood and adulthood; (2) tasks seen as most important in advancing from one period…

The relationship between grade point average, grade level, age, sex, social class, and self-concept as defined by Havighurst's Developmental Tasks for Youth was investigated. Subjects were 280 adolescents ranging in age from 13 through 18 and coming from a variety of social classes. Each subject completed a Self-Concept Scale for Adolescents,…

A study was made to determine the extent of age bias among counselors working with adult clients in educational settings. An Age Norms Inquiry questionnaire was sent to counselors in 55 urban colleges and to members of the Adult Development Guidance Association (186 of 381 questionnaires were returned). Age bias was operationally defined as…

This study examined variables related to problem-solving approaches of young children, using the theoretical framework provided by Zigler and his collaborators in their work on outerdirectedness. Four aspects of outerdirectedness were examined: developmental trends, effects of different types of reinforcement, effects of task difficulty, and pride…

Children judged the ability and effort of peers whose test performance varied across two dimensions: number of problems attempted and percentage correct. There was a developmental progression in the children's evaluative approach. Younger children used only one cue, number correct, to evaluate both ability and effort. Older children used both cues…

Piaget, in describing the sequence of classificatory development, describes class inclusion as composed of two processes; hierarchical classification and post-whole comparisons. In the experiment reported here, elementary school children, trained in the concept of sets in first grade mathematics were given a task where they were required to assess…

A Self-Concept Scale for Adolescents based on Havighurst's Developmental Tasks for Youth was constructed to reflect adolescents' perceptions of their ability to achieve these tasks in relation to personal abilities, the abilities of others, and the criteria for successful task completion. A validity and reliability study showed the scale to be…

Examined sex differences in eighth and tenth graders' and college students' use of elaboration in paired associate learning. Findings indicate that, as males and females became more proficient strategy users, sex differences diminished under more favorable task conditions that encouraged strategy use but remained constant under less favorable…

Kindergarten, second-grade, fifth-grade, and college subjects were tested in a serial-position recall task under each of four conditions: Visual stimuli/visual recall cue, visual stimuli/auditory recall cue, auditory stimuli/visual recall cue, auditory stimuli/auditory recall cue. Visual stimuli were pictures of common animals and objects;…

An analysis of children's narrative composition and art revealed concurrent development at both a general structural level and at a fine-grained detail level. A three-part study investigated whether this general cognitive pattern would be maintained across a different range of tasks: literary composition, scientific reasoning, and working memory.…

A Self-Concept Scale for Adolescents based on Havighurst's Developmental Tasks for Youth was constructed to reflect adolescents' perceptions of their ability to achieve these tasks in relation to personal abilities, the abilities of others, and the criteria for successful task completion. A validity and reliability study showed the scale to be…

Randomly assigned 80 boys and girls in grades 3 and 7 to either a football-related or a dance-related group. Performance expectancies obtained prior to engaging in a novel motor task can be affected by the way a task is presented. Boys were more affected than girls by labels of sex appropriateness. (Author/BJV)

In this part of the Kansas City Study of Adult Life, educational implications of adult activities and goals were explored, with emphasis on effective living in middle life. Performance of adult developmental tasks and motivation toward effort in these areas were investigated. Criteria were offered for assessing high, medium, and low performance in…