Findings of this observational study of 74 families tentatively support the conclusion that the psychological characteristics of emotional distress, authoritarian child-rearing values, and negative perceptions of children partially mediate the influence of some demographic/stressful life conditions on the positive and negative behaviors of…

Data suggest that infants with high vagal tone were more reactive than infants with low vagal tone to positive and negative events at 5 months, and were more sociable at 14 months. Infant reactivity to mildly stressful events seemed to be a stable dimension during the first year. (RH)

Few studies have attempted to measure the strength of attachment in personal relationships or the stress associated with the loss of those relationships. To measure the perceived strength of attachment and stress of loss of 20 typical relationships (e.g.,wife or husband, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, friend, lover, grandparents, and…

Hypotheses presented in an initial report of this study were tested and, in general, all were supported. Maternal diagnosis, chronicity, and age of onset with regard to the child and to parent/child interaction were significantly associated with child competence. However, effects of these factors were not consistent across age of child or child…

Comparison of 60 junior high school students (20 academically gifted, 20 academic achievers, and 20 "nongifted") found that the academically gifted students demonstrated more negative affective and physiological stress reactions to an experimentally induced failure condition. (DB)