| Abstracts:
April 2001 , Volume 47, Number 2
Bradley,
R. H., & Corwyn, R. F. (2001). Home environment and behavioral
development during early adolescence: The mediating and moderating
roles of self-efficacy beliefs. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 47,
165-187.
Abstract:
The role of self-efficacy beliefs as a mediator and moderator
of the relation between the home environment and well-being was
examined for both European American and African American children
ages 10 through 15. There was evidence that self-efficacy beliefs
pertaining to school and to family functioned as a mediator between
EA-HOME scores and social behavior and also between EA-HOME scores
and an overall problems index. The effects occurred in both ethnic
groups but more often in European American adolescents. Likewise,
self-efficacy beliefs pertaining to peers and to family served
to moderate the relation between HOME scores and social behavior,
achievement test scores, and the overall problems index. Again,
however, the effects were largely restricted to European Americans.
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Ritchey, P. N., & Fishbein, H. D. (2001).
The lack of an association between adolescent friends' prejudices
and stereotypes. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 47, 188-206.
Abstract:
Four hundred twenty-six white male and female, ninth and eleventh
graders completed questionnaires that evaluated race, homosexual,
HIV/AIDS, and fat prejudice, and sex-role stereotyping. A factor
of intolerance was determined using all five scales. Regression
analyses evaluated whether the association of prejudice attitudes
among friends was conditional on friendship reciprocity, closeness,
having one versus two friends, congruity of friends' prejudices,
authoritative parenting, and degree of prejudice of the target adolescent.
Friends' prejudices and stereotypes were not associated. Possible
explanations were offered, including: discussions of prejudice and
stereotyping may be rare among students; adolescents assume that
their friends have similar attitudes to their own and thus don't
question apparent differences; and adolescents may influence each
other's behaviors, but not prejudices or stereotypes.
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Colwell, M. J., Pettit, G. S., Meece, D.,
Bates, J. E., & Dodge, K. A. (2001). Cumulative risk and continuity
in nonparental care from infancy to early adolescence. Merrill-Palmer
Quarterly, 47, 207-234.
Abstract:
Variations in amounts of nonparental care across infancy, preschool,
early elementary school, and early adolescence were examined in
a longitudinal sample (N = 438). Of interest was (a) continuity
in use of the different arrangements, (b) whether the arrangements
were additively and cumulatively associated with children's externalizing
behavior problems, and (c) whether predictive relations were accounted
for by social-ecological (socioeconomic status, mothers' employment
status, marital status) and social-experiential (parenting quality,
exposure to aggressive peers) factors. Correlations among overall
amounts of care provided little evidence of cross-time continuity.
Consistent with the cumulative risk perspective, Grade 1 self-care
and Grade 6 unsupervised peer contact incrementally predicted Grade
6 externalizing problems. Most of the predictive associations were
accounted for by family background and social relationship factors.
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Domitrovich, C. E., & Bierman, K.
L. (2001). Parenting practices and child social adjustment: Multiple
pathways of influence. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 47, 235-263.
Abstract:
This study explored pathways of influence linking parenting practices,
child perceptions of their parents and peers, and social adjustment.
Two dimensions of parenting practices were assessed from both parent
and child reports: warmth/support and hostility/control. Child perceptions
of peers also were assessed along these same dimensions. Parenting
practices were related to peer-reported social behavior, peer dislike,
and child social problem solving. Children's perceptions of their
parenting experiences were related to their social problem solving
and their reported social distress. In some cases, child perceptions
of peer relations mediated the associations. The findings are discussed
in terms of the importance of both the family and peer domains for
child social development and the influence that child perceptions
may have for psychological well-being.
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Chen, X., Chen, H., & Kaspar, V. (2001).
Group social functioning and individual socioemotional and school
adjustment in Chinese children. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 47, 264-299.
Abstract:
The study examined the relevancy of group social functioning to
individual social, academic, and psychological adjustment. From
a sample of elementary and high school students in China, 323 children
were identified as group members. Information concerning social
functioning, social preference, leadership, school-related competence
and problems, academic achievement, and psychological adjustment
including loneliness, depression, and perceived social competence
was obtained from multiple sources. It was found that social functioning,
including sociability, aggression, and shyness-inhibition, of group
peers had unique contributions to individual social and school adjustment
and adjustment problems, over and above the child's self social
functioning. It also was found that the contributions of peer social
functioning to individual school adjustment might depend on the
child's social characteristics, and that the relations between child
social functioning and socio-emotional adjustment might be moderated
by group context.
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Nixon,
C. L., & Watson, A. C. (2001). Family experiences and early
emotion understanding. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 47, 300+.
Abstract:
Individual differences in young children's understanding of emotion
and potential correlates in the domain of family experiences were
examined. Self-report questionnaires concerning the expression
of emotion, management of marital conflict, and marital satisfaction
were obtained from the mothers of children who had been given
an emotion expression interpretation task and an assessment of
their understanding of hidden negative emotions. Results indicated
that individual differences in children's understanding of negative
emotions were related to specific aspects of family experiences.
These data suggest complex influences of family functioning on
children's understanding of the emotional aspects of social relationships.
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