PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION OF ADULTS AS OBSERVED IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

The 37 Caldecott Medal award‐winning children's books and 129 runner‐up books were subjected to a content analysis in order to evaluate the portrayal of adults in children's literature, both fictional and nonfictional. Of the total 166 books analyzed, 43 were excluded from the data because they contained no adult portrayals. For the 123 books subjected to final content analysis, and the 751 characters contained in these books, the data revealed statistically significant differences on four variables: (1) more male than female adults were represented; (2) more healthy than physically handicapped adults were portrayed; (3) more positive than negative or neutral illustrations of adults occurred; (4) adults were represented more in fictional than in nonfictional children's books. Results were interpreted as demonstrating that children's literature portrays neither adult figures nor adult life in a realistic manner.     

我们这一桌，大“二”无疆

据我了解，同桌就是一“犯二青年”，碰上“随遇而安”的我，两个人就都“二”了起来。于是乎，我们的大“二”生活开始了……     

Taxisin Aplysia dactylomela (Rang, 1828) to water-borne stimuli from conspecifics

Sixteen reproductively matureAplysia dactylomela were observed in a unidirectional stream under each of four conditions: sea water only, one sea hare, six sea hares, and a copulating sea hare pair. Streams containing conspecific stimulation were significantly more effective in eliciting a positive taxis towards the stimulus source. A copulating pair was not different from one or six animals in producing the approach. The sea hares showed a distinct final head orientation to six sea hares when compared with sea water only; final orientation did not differ in any other comparison.     

Hormones, emotional dispositions, and aggressive attributes in young adolescents

Relations among hormone levels, emotional dispositions, and aggressive attributes were examined in 56 boys and 52 girls, age 9 to 14 years. The adolescents represented all 5 stages of pubertal development. Serum levels of gonadotropins, gonadal steroids, adrenal androgens, and testosterone-estradiol binding globulin were assessed. Levels of these hormones were related to stage of pubertal development and were assumed to represent relatively stable biological characteristics. The emotional dispositions assessed were adolescent self-reported anger, nervousness, sadness, and impulse control. The aggressive attributes assessed were mother-reported acting out and aggressive behavior problems and rebellious and nasty characteristics. Hormone levels were related to emotional dispositions and aggressive attributes for boys but not for girls. For example, higher levels of androstenedione in boys were related to higher levels of acting-out behavior problems. Level of testosterone-estradiol binding globulin was negatively related to sad affect and acting out behavior.     

Impressions of ICOTS II

The following short contributions are from people who attended the Second International Conference on Teaching Statistics held in Victoria, August 1986     

Prediction and prevention of child abuse and neglect

Utilizing an interview, a questionnaire, and observations during labor, delivery, and the postpartum period, a sample of one hundred mothers was identified as at high risk for abnormal parenting practices. These mothers were randomly divided into a “High-Risk Intervene” group (N=50) and a “High-Risk Nonintervene” group (N=50). The “Intervene” group received comprehensive pediatric follow-up by a single physician, a lay health visitor, and/or a public health nurse in the home. The “Non-intervene” group received routine care, although the results of these screening procedures were shared with the physicians and nurses responsible for their ongoing care. Another group of 50 mothers, who delivered during the same time period and who were assessed as low risk in terms of abnormal parenting practices, served as controls. When the children were approximately two years old (mean age 26.8 months), 25 families in each of the three groups were chosen at random for detailed evaluation.