Experimental attempts at assessing the social perception skills of learning disabled (LD) children are reviewed, along with methodological concerns relative to these experiments, and possible directions for future social perception research. Ten studies that examined LD children's ability to interpret nonverbal cues indicated they performed more…

Examined effects of cooperation on role taking and moral reasoning in 120 fifth-grade students. Classrooms using cooperative peer-initiated group learning were compared with other innovative and more traditional teacher-centered methods. Role taking was found to be enhanced by cooperative interdependence, but moral reasoning level was not…

Asserts that, among the concerns in recent research in moral development, has been the steps involved in moral judgment stage development. Reports on a study of 490 college students and adults on the primary perspective-taking factors associated within the transition to mature moral judgment. (CFR)

This study compared the performance on perspective-taking tasks of 8 congenitally blind children (mean age 13.5 years), using either haptic exploration or a vibrotactile prosthetic device, with the performance of 4 children having low vision using their limited visual abilities. The vibrotactile device improved perspective-taking performance…

Provides a selective review of interdisciplinary research of the bases for and obstacles to effective environmental advocacy (EA). Synthesizes an analysis of the social backdrop of contemporary EA, considers research associated with environmental communication, and uses theory and research involving social cognition to indicate ways that advocates…

An assessment task was devised to explore the attributional style and role-taking ability of 22 aggressive and 22 nonaggressive adults with moderate to mild mental retardation. Aggressive participants showed a hostile bias in their interpretation of others' intentions within ambiguous interpersonal situations and were superior in role-taking…

A study investigated the relations between various measures of social understanding and social interaction competence in verbally able children with autism (n=20). Initiating joint attention and empathy were strongly related measures of social interaction competence. No understanding-behavioral links were identified for 20 language-age matched…

Comparison of 16 children (ages 9 to 12) with visual impairment to 16 sighted children found visually impaired children had a poorer understanding than did sighted children of characters in stories, as shown by fewer correct justifications based on mental states. Some subgroup patterns concerning congenital impairments and cognitive style were…

Based on S. Chaffee and J. McLeod's coorientation model of communication, this paper addresses the question of individual and cognitive versus social and communicational comparisons in order to further elaborate the theory behind the coorientation model. The paper argues that, in a situation which includes two individuals and a topic, both…

In order to determine whether egocentrism can be conceptualized as a unitary construct, 100 children (51 four-year-olds, 37 five-year-olds, and 12 six-year-olds) were administered a visual/spatial perspective task, a cognitive/communicative task, and an affective task. All tasks were designed to measure different facets of egocentrism. The 50…

Evaluates fourth-to seventh-grade children on two aspects of social cognition: interpersonal understanding and means-ends problem-solving ability. Relates the two variables to sex, age, IQ, social class, and multiple dimensions of competence. Both variables significantly correlated with I.Q. while interpersonal understanding also correlated with…

Defines and describes the concept of social cognition and its relationship to various psychological positions. Outlines Selman's stage theory of social cognition and the influence of Piaget's theory. Issues of interpersonal understanding are related to concepts of the individual, friendship, peer group and parent-child relations. (JAC)

Possible differential relations between social sensitivity and perspective taking and prohibitive and prosocial moral reasoning were assessed for males and females. The levels of principled or internalized reasoning in these content areas were compared. (Author/GK)

Presented are suggestions for simulations for students in grades 3-12, designed to promote an understanding of how individuals with handicaps cope and adapt to their disability. Simulation ideas include toothbrushing while blindfolded and dressing with socks covering the hands. A participant's reaction form and an observer's reaction form are…

Two studies explored preschool, second-, and fifth-grade children's moral and dispositional judgments as influenced by an actor's efforts. Findings indicated that older children's judgments and predictions reflected coordination of the actor's effort with information about the actor's anticipated goal. Preschool children focused more on the…