John Paul McKinney

Hand schema in children.

When a young child, eyes closed, localizes a finger which has been tactually stimulated, he uses a visual schema of the hand. When this image conflicts with the then inverted posture of the hand, localization worsens. It improves again, except for the congenitally blind, on trials when the hand is returned to its original position.

The Goodness of Fit in Autonomy Timetable Expectations between Asian-American Late Adolescents and their Parents:

The purpose of this study was to examine the goodness of ”t of autonomy timetable expectations between Asian-American late adolescents and their parents. The “goodness of ”t” model (Lerner & Lerner, 1983; Thomas & Chess, 1977) was used as a framework to guide this study. All 99 Asian-American late adolescents completed self-report questionnaires. Results indicate that, overall, late adolescents would have liked to experience an earlier timetable of autonomy than their parents had allowed. However, there was variation in the sample, that is, there were some adolescents who did not want a different timetable than they were allowed. Also, it was found that the goodness of ”t between the autonomy timetable that adolescents would have liked and what their parents had allowed was a better predictor of adolescent adjustment than simply knowing the timetable of autonomy that adolescents had actually experienced. Late adolescents who experienced a good ”t with perceived parental expectations of autonomy reported higher levels of self-esteem and emotional closeness to their parents, and lower levels of depression, behaviour misconduct, and insecurity with parents, compared to their poor ”tting counterparts. It is proposed that the concept of “goodness of ”t” is a useful framework for the investigation of autonomy development, and subsequent adjustment in Asian-American late adolescents.

Handedness, eyedness and perceptual stability of the left and right visual fields

Abstract The perceptual stability of visual targets in the left vs. right visual fields was investigated by having Ss report the perceptual fragmentation of dim stimuli. The right visual field was found more stable than the left. This difference was not related to handedness but was significantly related to ocular dominance. Monocular results yielded significant laterality differences for the left eye, but not the right eye. An interpretation based on sensory cerebral dominance and retinal sensitivity was advanced to account for the results.

The Development of Values—Prescriptive or Prescriptive?

One dimension in the development of the valuing process is the direction of moral emphasis; that is, whether one stresses behaviors which have been stated prescriptively or proscriptively. Prescriptiv

Engagement Style (Agent vs. Patient) in Childhood and Adolescence.

The active vs. reactive dimension of development was investigated as a personality variable called engagement style. The dimension refers to the perception one has of oneself either as doing (agent) o

The structure of values among college students: An examination of sex differences.

Male and female college students stated how proud or ashamed they would be of 96 behaviors. The ratings by each sex were then factor analyzed. While personal accomplishments was found to be the primary factor for males, academic failure was the primary factor for females. An interpretation of these differences in terms of the operation of fear-of-failure dynamics among college women was suggested. Further examination of the factor structures revealed a larger number of morality-related factors for females than for males, suggesting that morality is more differentiated for females. The compatibility of this finding with previous research in the area of moral development was noted.

Lateral asymmetry in the stability of the visual field

Visual targets of low intensity fragment and disappear when fixated in the dark. The present study uses this phenomenon to study the relative perceptual stability of the left and right visual fields. Results indicate a right field superiority.

Becoming an Adult in the 1980s

In most cultures, childhood is a stage of the life cycle that is loved and revered, at least in words, if not always in actions. Children and childhood may be admired because it is in them that adult hopes for the future and the world are high. It is almost as if when everything else in life suggests despair, we look at our children and find our hope for the future once again resurrected. Therefore, it is in many ways difficult to give up children or their childhood for adulthood and maturity. It is for example, one of the most agonizingly painful and difficult tasks for a parent to lose a child to death, whether suddenly or slowly, in infancy or at any childhood age. It is also difficult for parents who are unable economically, psychologically or physically to care for their child to relinquish and commit that child to the care of somebody else. It is difficult for parents who are abusive or otherwise found incapable to give up their children. Finally, it is difficult for all of us at different times and in different ways to say good-bye to our own childhood or to our children and their childhood. In loving our children we tend to hold up their stage of life as an ideal to us all. “Unless you become as little children you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.”