Provides an overview of the rapidly expanding area of human-animal bonding. The historical background of human-animal bonding, the current multidisciplinary interest in companion animals, and theoretical perspectives are reviewed. The article examines programmatic and legislative developments in which social workers have participated and presents…

Research on characteristics of Down Syndrome infants affecting the interaction between mother and child is reviewed. Differences in the development of the social communication behaviors of state control (sleep and awake); gaze patterns; coordination of gesture, gaze, and vocalization; and frequency of vocalization have implications for parental…

This paper seeks to integrate some ideas from family systems theory and attachment theory within a theory of public opinion and social movement. Citing the classic "The Authoritarian Personality," the paper states that the first authorities children know, their parents or other caregivers, shape children's attitudes toward all…

The 3-year-old's mode of expressing separation distress, observed during nursery school adaptation, was explored in relation to parental child care styles. The father-child relationship and the nature of parental differences were associated with the quality of nursery school adjustment, as illustrated by case reports. (Author/DB)

Reviews conceptual background on atypical patterns of early attachments, including basic theoretical terms and constructs of attachment theory; the nature and function of the original classification system; notions of "exceptional cases" or "atypical patterns"; and implications of atypicality for both a classification system of attachment behavior…

Based on research on patterns of infant-caregiver attachment, a theory of individual development is proposed. Principles of the theory include a focus on adaptation, a view of the person as a coherent whole, a central role for affective constructs and emotion, and a focus on individual differences. (GC)

Notes that many researchers have asserted maternal "sensitivity" as the key feature of interactions promoting "secure" attachment relationships. Reviews literature addressing the construct of sensitivity, highlighting the problem of definition and identifying the range of behaviors typically used as indicators of sensitivity.…

Reviews recent attachment-related studies of early aggression. Longitudinal attachment studies indicate that risk factors identified in cross-sectional studies of aggressive school-age children, such as family adversity, parental hostility, parental depression, and child cognitive deficits, are already evident in infancy and predictive of later…