John E. Williams - Böcker

All traits were not created equal. -WORCHEL AND COOPER (1983, p. 180) This book reports the findings from extensive cross-cultural studies of the relative importance ofdifferent psychological traits in 20 countries and the relative favorability of these traits in a subset of 10 countries. While the work is devoted primarily to professionals and advanced students in the social sciences, the relatively nontechnical style - ployed should make the book comprehensible to anyone with a general grasp of the concepts and strategies ofempirical behavioral science. The project grew out of discussions between the first author and third author while the latter was a graduate student at Wake Forest University, U.S.A., in 1990. The third author, a native of Chile, was studying person-descriptive adjectives composing the stereotypes - sociatedwiththe Chilean aboriginal minority knownas Mapuche (Saiz &Williams, 1992). Asweexaminedthe adjectives usedinthisstudy,it was clear that they differed in favorability and also on another dim- sionwhichwe latertermed "psychologicalimportance," i.e., the degree to which adjectives reflected more "central," as opposed to more "- ripheral,"personality characteristics.More important descriptors were those which seemed more informative or diagnostic ofwhat a person "wasreally like"and, hence, might be ofgreater significance in und- standing and predicting an individual's behavior.

John E. Williams and Deborah L. Best have done the field a considerable service by systematically collecting and carefully analyzing a very large set of cross-cultural data concerning sex-trait stereotypes. --Jacob O. Sines, review in Archives of Sexual Behavior Measuring Sex Stereotypes provides a unique exploration of contemporary sex stereotypes--and the degree to which they prevail in different cultures. The authors surpass all previous studies in three important areas: their data covers 30 nations; they test both children and adults; and they examine their findings from three theoretical perspectives, namely effective meanings, ego states, and psychological needs. After uncovering and describing a surprising array of pancultural sex stereotypes, the authors analyze their practical implications. New to this edition are summaries of additional studies--all conducted since the publication of the first edition--which employ the authors' sex stereotype assessment methods. In addition, new adult sex stereotype data for Singapore and Portugal have been added, along with comparison variable data for these two countries. The culture-specific definitions of masculinity and femininity originally reported in the first edition of this book have now been used as the basis for its companion volume, Sex and Psyche. Both the new companion volume and the revised edition of this book are so closely related that readers with a serious interest in one will also wish to read the second. Professionals and students in gender studies, psychology, cross-cultural studies, family studies, and sociology will find these impressive volumes indispensable.

John E. Williams and Deborah L. Best have done the field a considerable service by systematically collecting and carefully analyzing a very large set of cross-cultural data concerning sex-trait stereotypes. --Jacob O. Sines, review in Archives of Sexual Behavior Measuring Sex Stereotypes provides a unique exploration of contemporary sex stereotypes--and the degree to which they prevail in different cultures. The authors surpass all previous studies in three important areas: their data covers 30 nations; they test both children and adults; and they examine their findings from three theoretical perspectives, namely effective meanings, ego states, and psychological needs. After uncovering and describing a surprising array of pancultural sex stereotypes, the authors analyze their practical implications. New to this edition are summaries of additional studies--all conducted since the publication of the first edition--which employ the authors' sex stereotype assessment methods. In addition, new adult sex stereotype data for Singapore and Portugal have been added, along with comparison variable data for these two countries. The culture-specific definitions of masculinity and femininity originally reported in the first edition of this book have now been used as the basis for its companion volume, Sex and Psyche. Both the new companion volume and the revised edition of this book are so closely related that readers with a serious interest in one will also wish to read the second. Professionals and students in gender studies, psychology, cross-cultural studies, family studies, and sociology will find these impressive volumes indispensable.

All traits were not created equal. -WORCHEL AND COOPER (1983, p. 180) This book reports the findings from extensive cross-cultural studies of the relative importance ofdifferent psychological traits in 20 countries and the relative favorability of these traits in a subset of 10 countries. While the work is devoted primarily to professionals and advanced students in the social sciences, the relatively nontechnical style - ployed should make the book comprehensible to anyone with a general grasp of the concepts and strategies ofempirical behavioral science. The project grew out of discussions between the first author and third author while the latter was a graduate student at Wake Forest University, U.S.A., in 1990. The third author, a native of Chile, was studying person-descriptive adjectives composing the stereotypes - sociatedwiththe Chilean aboriginal minority knownas Mapuche (Saiz &Williams, 1992). Asweexaminedthe adjectives usedinthisstudy,it was clear that they differed in favorability and also on another dim- sionwhichwe latertermed "psychologicalimportance," i.e., the degree to which adjectives reflected more "central," as opposed to more "- ripheral,"personality characteristics.More important descriptors were those which seemed more informative or diagnostic ofwhat a person "wasreally like"and, hence, might be ofgreater significance in und- standing and predicting an individual's behavior.

"Child development" has always been a traditional component of well­ child care and a particular area of interest for pediatricians, child neu­ rologists, and psychologists. However, it was not until the early 1960s that children with developmental disabilities (i. e. , chronic handicapping disorders) became a major focus of public and professional attention. During this period, children with "special needs" were dramatically catapulted into the limelight and "exceptional" became the buzzword of the day. Public and professional awareness of these issues reached new peaks and recognition of the potential psychosocial impairments of chil­ dren with developmental disabilities created national anxiety. A variety of factors contributed to an unprecedented societal advocacy for chil­ dren with developmental problems: (1) a national concern generated by President Kennedy'S particular interest in mental retardation; (2) in­ creased activity and visibility of parent advocacy/lobbying groups (e. g. , the Association for Children with Learning Disabilities); (3) the enact­ ment of federal legislation designed to protect the rights of the handi­ capped (e. g. , PL94-142); and (4) the popularization of developmental­ behavioral disabilities by the various communications media. Cumulatively these events precipitated a redefinition of the real mean­ ing of "comprehensive health care for children," resulting in an empha­ sis on the child's neurodevelopmental, educational, psychological, and social needs. For the pediatrician, a myriad of new management respon­ sibilities were mandated, in addition to the traditional health care con­ cerns.

We are most pleased to present Volume 3 of Developmental-Behavioral Disorders: Selected Topics, designed to serve as a companion for standard reference textbooks that address cogent issues in developmental pedi­ atrics. Periodic publications such as Selected Topics and theme-related articles, as well as continuing education programs, attempt to supple­ ment in a timely fashion the rapidly changing knowledge base in devel­ opmental-behavioral pediatrics. These media are important as forums for enhancing the quality of clinical practice, teaching skills, and re­ search activities. The need is critical for periodically disseminating and updating information about issues in developmental medicine, in as much as this field of study continues to expand at a meteoric pace. During the past several decades, developmental medicine has been recognized as a defined subspecialty in pediatrics. The spectrum of problems encompassed by this discipline is relatively broad and at times clinically overwhelming. The ultimate goal of preventing delays, disor­ ders, and/or dysfunctions from becoming chronic handicapping condi­ tions has, by volume per se, created clinical dilemmas for pediatric health care providers. There are numerous facets of providing efficient and effective care, which in the field of developmental-behavioral pediatrics are often exaggerated impediments to the delivery of services by pri­ mary health care specialists, e. g. , time, clinical skills, need for inter­ disciplinary management, medical-legal responsibilities, financial reim­ bursements. These issues, as well as clinical problems, are still very much part of the information base to be disseminated to concerned pro­ fessionals.