Examines Simmel's principle of cultivation whereby the cultivated mind is constructed through ongoing transactions of people with their cultural environment, cultural forms currently overlooked. Cultural forms result from externalizations of former person-culture transactions. Argues that development is structured through person-culture…

Reviews "Rethinking Innateness: A Connectionist Perspective on Development" by Elman and others (1996). Maintains that the authors argue forcefully that the nature-nurture conflict is a false dichotomy and that they present convincing existence on the possibility of qualitative change. Argues that the authors do not succeed in proposing…

Argues that dynamic systems approaches may provide an explanatory framework based on general scientific principles for developmental psychology, using principles of self-organization to explain how novel forms emerge without predetermination and become increasingly complex with development. Contends that self-organization provides a single…

Libby Zimmerman, an early childhood consultant, explores the negative stereotypes of only children and reflects on her experiences being an only child and raising an only child. Despite decades of research pointing to the contrary, there is still a lingering suspicion that only children are spoiled, asocial, and maladjusted. The author traces the…

Third in a series, this review examines progress made in research in developmental psychology, primarily in India, between 1976 and 1984. Focusing on physical, motor, and mental development, Section I discusses physical development and growth norms as well as factors influencing physical development. Section II, centering on cognitive, perceptual,…

Exercise is generally held to be a significant factor in the growth, development, and health of children and adolescents. The effects of physical activity regimens on general growth, as well as quantitative and qualitative changes, in animal muscle and bone tissue have been clearly demonstrated. Less is known about the role of exercise and related…

The study was designed to investigate the exploration and attachment behavior of young children in a strange situation in the presence of: (1) an individual to whom the child was attached (the mother); (2) an inanimate object with which the child was highly familiar (favorite toy); and (3) a novel inanimate object (an unfamiliar toy). The effect…

Examined relationships between three components of tasks used in developmental studies of attention--visual search, filtering, and priming--as measured in tasks performed by children and adults. (PCB)

Study analyzes intellectual ability and achievement in school of six to eleven year old students. (RK)

This paper presents a comprehensive theory of the development of morality in childhood. It is intended to serve as a basis for understanding the dynamics of value acquisition and preparing suitable educational strategies. (Author)

Today's children are being forced to achieve more and at an earlier age than ever before in society. Previously "natural" rites of passage into adulthood come too early for children, and they often do not get the chance to appreciate and experience the highly important period of life called childhood. (CJ)

Describes the Prospect Archives, which contain children's artwork and academic work as well as observations and reports on the children by teachers and other staff members of the Prospect School. The contents of the archive document the growth of individual students over a period of years. (Author/IRT)

Examined how infants acquire adaptive locomotion in the novel task of going up and down slopes. Found that infants' judgments became increasingly accurate and exploration became increasingly efficient, with no transfer over the transition from crawling to walking. Infants learned to gauge their abilities on-line as they encountered each hill at…

Summarizes findings in brain research that directly impact how caregivers interact with young children: (1) interplay between genes and environment; (2) contributions of early experiences to brain structure; (3) effects of early interactions on brain "wiring"; (4) the non-linear progress of development; and (5) children's biological…

Conducted research, based on Erikson's theory of identity development, to examine anorexic's progression through early stages of development. Results support the view that the negative aspects of development are clearly present in the anorexic. Findings have implications for school counselors. Introductory questionnaire on anorexia is appended.…