Individuals working with young children, birth through age five, continue to strive for professional recognition. Factors that contribute to a person's feelings about being a child care professional were investigated. Stratified random sampling was used for data collection. Participants in the study responded to mailed questionnaires concerning a profile of child care professionals. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance, Pearson ProductMoment Correlation Coefficient, and multiple regression analysis. Results suggested that commitment has the strongest influence on the perceptions of professionalism. Other significant factors were years of experience in child care, enjoyment of work, receiving trainings, feeling able to use trainings, parents turning to the child care professional for information, and feeling qualified. Possible implications of these findings are discussed.

The Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale was administered to 550 14- and 16-yr.-old (+/- 6 mo.) girls. Self-esteem scores were categorized by weight and weight by height. Scores on the Quetelet Index for obesity were correlated with self-esteem scores. Mean self-esteem of the low- and middle-weight by height group was significantly higher than the mean of the high-weight by height group. In analyzing weight alone, the self-esteem of the middle-weight group was significantly higher than the self-esteem of the high-weight group. The correlation of the obesity index and self-esteem indicated that as weight increased self-esteem decreased.

The Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale was used to measure the self-esteem of 109 14- and 16-yr.-old (+/- 6 mo.) girls. The self-esteem scores were categorized by economic status, race, and area of residence. For urban girls mean self-esteem of upper economic status subjects was significantly higher than that of those at the lower economic status. The self-esteem of upper economic status urban girls was significantly higher than the self-esteem of their rural peers. Finally, the self-esteem of the urban black girls was significantly higher than the self-esteem of the urban white girls.

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Locus of control, self-control, and family income were investigated as possible predictors of 138 young children's mathematics and science scores. The children, 60 boys and 78 girls, ranging from 4 to 8 years of age (M = 5.4, SD = 1.3) were administered the Stephens-Delys Reinforcement Contingency Interview Scale, the Self-control Rating Scale, the Comprehensive Mathematics Inventory, and a science test based on the work of D. K. Dickinson. Analysis showed mathematics scores were positively related to income, locus of control, and science scores. Mathematics and science scores were negatively related to lack of self-control. Also, science scores were positively related to locus of control. Multiple regression analysis with mathematics as the dependent variable indicated income had the greatest predictive value followed by self-control and locus of control. The multiple regression model of science was also significant, with locus of control having the greatest influence followed by self-control.