Narrative story stem techniques (NSSTs) offer insight into attachment and other representational aspects of preschool to young school aged children's inner lives. While the method moved into the academic and clinical mainstream some 35 years ago, their applicability to "non-Western" contexts remains little understood. This synthesis…

Which domain-specific self-evaluations are most central to children's global self-worth? And does this differ between countries with different levels of collectivism-individualism? We conducted a preregistered cross-cultural meta-analysis to address these questions. We included 141 independent samples (21 countries/regions, 584 cross-sectional…

We conducted a meta-analytic review of 53 studies published between 2000 and 2020 to quantify associations of parents' emotion regulation with parenting behavior and children's emotion regulation and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Twelve meta-analyses, which included between 4 to 22 effect sizes (N from 345 to 3609), were conducted to…

Current research has reported the beneficial effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on general domains of cognition and behavior among children. The present study is the first meta-analysis with controlled studies investigating the pre-post change effects of MBIs on two widely experienced behaviors in childhood education, namely…

Attachment theorists have described the parent-child attachment relationship as a foundation for the emergence and development of children's capacity for emotion regulation and coping with stress. The purpose of this review was to summarize the existing research addressing this issue. We identified 23 studies that employed validated assessments of…

Being overweight or obese (overweight/obesity) or physically aggressive in childhood and adolescence can have lifelong consequences, hence are important public health problems. Identifying a relationship between these problems would assist in understanding their developmental origins. The present paper sought to review previous studies and use…

This article synthesized evidence for the validity and reliability of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in children aged 3-5 years. A systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement guidelines was carried out. Study quality was rated using the Consensus-based Standards for the…

The concept of bidirectionality represents a process of mutual influence between parent and child, whereby each influences the other as well as the dyadic relationship. Despite the widespread acceptance of bidirectional models of influence, there is still a lack of integration of such models in current research designs. Research on…

A brief history of the study of language acquisition is followed by a detailed discussion of two subareas: metalinguistic thinking and the development of literacy. (MP)

Reconsiders the predominant views on the acquisition of kinship terms. Topics discussed include: (1) kinship and the ontogenesis of logic; (2) kinship and semantic development; (3) the language learner as naive theorist; (4) development and domain specificity; and (5) an alternative approach to kinship. (RJC)

Reviews "Risk-Taking Behavior in Youth: A Psychological Approach to Accidents" (Jean-Pascal Assailly). Notes that childhood accidental deaths have been overlooked as an outcome of early childhood problems. Notes factors associated with accidents that are identical to predictors of juvenile delinquency. Highlights the book's strong…

Reviews "Cooperation and Prosocial Behaviour" (Hinde and Groebel); "Psychological Development of High Risk Multiple Birth Children" (Krall and Feinstein); "Early Prediction and Prevention of Child Abuse" (Browne and others); "Strategies des joueurs d'Awale" (Reitschitzki); "Children's Understanding of…

Discusses normative developmental changes in cardiovascular and electrodermal activity and describes the dynamic balance between branches of the autonomic nervous system. Issues for further developmental study are identified, and problems and limitations in the psychophysiological study of children are explored. (Author/RH)

Points out that advances in research include field experiments and panel studies permitting the use of nonexperimental causal-inference techniques. Notes that the scope of recent research has expanded to include cognitive processing of televised information and other types of effects (e.g., children's concepts of social reality). Suggests…

Explores longstanding inconsistencies in Piaget's account of development of spatial representation and perspective-taking. Examines Piaget's early writings and the findings of the original "three mountains" experiment. Concludes that Piaget's alternative theory is compatible with contemporary thinking and is important as a contributory…