The choices and preferences of nursery school children

After a period of equal reinforcement for choices of any job revealed which of 10 jobs each of 24 preschool children preferred and did not prefer, token payment became dependent on particular choices. Some children received tokens only for choosing previously non-preferred jobs, others for choosing previously preferred jobs. When tokens depended on choosing the nonpreferred jobs, those came to be preferred. When tokens depended on choosing the preferred jobs, the preferences were strengthened. The effects were replicated both within and between subjects, except in the case of one boy who consistently avoided token pay.     

Relationship between birth order, birth stress, and lateral preferences: a critical review

Reviews the literature examining the relationship between birth order, birth stress, and lateral preferences in nonclinical samples, with special emphasis on reports since 1971. The review found no evidence to relate birth order position to deviations from right-sidedness for either sex. More direct measures of birth stress indicated that deviations from right-handedness (particularly for male subjects), and also right-eyedness, were statistically related to specific birth stressors. It should be stressed, however, that all the relationships, including the significant ones, were very weak, accounting for less than 1% of the variance. When statistical significance was achieved, it was largely due to the huge sample sizes used in the meta-analyses. Methological and theoretical problems exist in the current literature, and we offer some suggestions to resolve them.     

Sequential transfer to related oddity problems by nursery school children

The initial learning and subsequent transfer of an oddity principle by children between 4 and 5 years of age were studied. The initial standard oddity problem was learned quickly by most of the children. A high level of performance was maintained on both transfer sets. The results were related to limitations placed on the oddity solutions learned by 4-year-olds by particular aspects of the original learning context.     

Mothers' subjective employment experiences and the behaviour of their nursery school children

Most research on the effects of maternal employment on children has followed the ‘maternal deprivation’ hypothesis, which focuses on differences in the behaviour of children of employed and non-employed mothers. Yet this framework may have impeded an examination of a more relevant question, namely the impact of mothers' employment-related experiences. Accordingly, this study assesses the influence of mothers' job satisfaction, job involvement and role conflict on the behaviour of their nursery school sons and daughters (n=46 and 45 respectively). The effects of maternal employment on their nursery school children were found to be mediated by (a) the nature and quality of the employment experience (i.e. positive or negative), (b) the type of child behaviour assessed, and (c) the sex of the child. Mothers' job satisfaction was positively associated with daughters' self-control and negatively with conduct problems; their role conflict was negatively related to sons' and daughters' self-control, and positively associated with sons' conduct problems and daughters' immaturity. These results support the hypothesis that the quality of the maternal employment experience influences nursery school children's behaviour.     

Relationship between body image and percent body fat among British school children

The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between body image and percent body fat in British school children. A total of 223 11- to 14-yr.-old children from central England took part in the study. Body image was measured using a self-report questionnaire, and percent body fat was measured using skinfold indices. Analysis indicated that body image and adiposity were significantly (p<.01) related for the whole sample, for boys and girls and for White children, Black children, and Asian children. An analysis of variance further indicated significant differences in body image and adiposity between boys and girls, with boys having a more positive body image and a lower percent body fat. Differences (p<.05) were also evident between Black and Asian children, with Black children having a more positive body image and lower percent body fat. No differences were evident between Black and White children or Asian and White children.     

Relationship of birth order and the marketing-related variable of materialism

The relationship between the birth order and materialism scores was investigated using materialism conceptualized as a consumer value. Data were collected from 275 alumni of a major southwestern university. The analysis indicated that first-borns in this sample scored significantly lower on materialism than younger siblings.     

Inquiry mode, occupational stress, and preferred leadership style among American elementary school teachers

The relationship between teachers' cognitive styles and the kind of leadership style they prefer and the types of occupational stress they experience was explored by obtaining self-reports from 70 elementary school teachers. Analytic teachers preferred principals who were task rather than relationship oriented. Preferences in leadership style appeared to be related to subjects' tendencies to perceive and evaluate situations in particular ways. Compatibility with a principal's leadership style may have depended on how closely the style matched a teacher's fundamental affective and cognitive characteristics.