Emphasizes necessity of reconsideration of adolescent development, for these reasons: the view of childhood has changed; females have not been systematically studied; theories of cognitive development favor mathematical and scientific thinking over the humanities; and because the psychology of adolescence is anchored in separation and independence…

Explored consequences of having mulitiple roles. Questioned 500 employed women about self-esteem; satisfaction with careers, partners, and children; perceptions of life stress and pleasure; and number of roles held. Higher self-esteem and greater job satisfaction were associated with holding more roles. Marital and parental satisfaction were not…

Compares a group of well-educated mothers who preferred to be home caring for their infants with a group who preferred to be employed to determine how employment preference affects the development of maternal separation anxiety. (HOD)

Conceptual analysis of two perspective-taking tasks identified a number of subtasks calling for equivalent operations of social reasoning within tasks of different content. Subtasks hypothetically formed a logical and developmental sequence of abilities required for decentering. The developmental significance of the hierarchy was tested among 121…

Theory of mind research focuses on children's understanding of other people's minds, their desires, intentions, and beliefs. Currently, there is much debate as to what is the substrate for children's theory of mind development; socio-cognitive skills, linguistic development, a simulation of one's own mental states, and the maturation of innate…

This book is a collection of essays in which the author counters high-stakes testing, the pathologizing of children, and the unrelenting critique of public schools with a persuasive account of how children actively make sense of the world and their experience through the making of works, such as drawings, constructions, and writings. The book is…

This book is a collection of works that explore the implications of a national U.S. curriculum through the study of Japanese education. It consists of 10 chapters: (1) "The Development of the Course of Study and the Structure of Educational Reform in Japan" (Hiroshi Azuma); (2) "Setting National Standards: Educational Reform, Social…

This curriculum project is intended for studying nonviolent conflict resolution at the undergraduate and graduate level, but it could be adapted for high school classes. The project first presents an historical context of Israel to illuminate the present conflict in the Middle East. It then presents a series of vignettes that represent differing…

This curriculum unit seeks to place South Africa's history in a world historical perspective. Although the unit cannot provide a comprehensive analysis of South Africa's place in the world, it does intend to provide an introductory framework by exploring the broad themes of settlement, economic development, and political development. It is…

Role-taking, a prototypical social-cognitive skill, is the ability to view the world (including the self) from another's perspective. (Author/MB)

Questionnaires exploring friendship relations, perspective-taking competencies, and notions of popularity were presented to 48 children divided into four age groups (mean ages 5.9, 7.11, 10.3, and 12.2 years) and into categories of upper and lower sociometric status. (Author/RH)

Discusses Erikson's ideas on the importance of historical perspective in identity formation and values. Suggests the developmental processes at adolescence and the way in which the individual and society react and interact have implications for the transmission and nurturing of values by both individual adults and the collective society. (RC)

Activities that reinforce social studies instruction and improve writing skills are described, including: (1) writing resumes for historical figures; (2) "on-site" reporting of historical events; (3) defining social studies concepts; (4) perspective taking and letter writing; and (5) speech writing. (CJ)

Reports on research which indicates that much of the meaning of transcendental meditation (TM) is constructed from preexisting understandings and expectations. Various influences for the impact of TM are suggested including the language, rules, and world view of the social environment. (RC)

This article discusses cognitive development research as it relates to social competence. Two research approaches are summarized: (1) attempts to isolate sequential stages in the development of social cognition, and (2) conceptualization of broad organizing principles hypothesized to mediate all social cognition. (Author/SJL)