This study explored differences in caregiver-child interactions following children's information-seeking questions. Naturalistic speech from thirty-seven 4-year-olds and their caregivers was used to explore children's information-seeking questions, the caregiver's response, and children's subsequent follow-up. Half of the families were…

Children prefer learning from, and affiliating with, their racial in-group but those preferences may vary for biracial children. Monoracial (White, Black, Asian) and biracial (Black/White, Asian/White) children (N = 246, 3-8 years) had their racial identity primed. In a learning preferences task, participants determined the function of a novel…

Examines reciprocity in caregiver-child interactions by assessing 24 infants and their mothers with regard to temperament and maternal behavior, respectively. Results suggested that the more difficult the child temperamentally, the less the maternal responsiveness. (JMB)

Twenty-four infants and their preschool-aged siblings were observed in a laboratory playroom in the presence of their parents. Observations took place when the infants were 12 months old and again 6 months later. (JMB)

Mothers of firstborn infants were videotaped playing with a six-month-old infant with sex-appropriate or cross-sex clothes and names. Toy choice and interaction styles varied with the perceived sex of the child. (BD)

Naturalistic observations of 20-month-old infants and their older siblings (1 1/2 or 3 years older) suggested the presence or absence of the mother may be an important variable in interactions between the two. (BJD)

Examines whether mothers modify their actions in response to infant facial expression or gaze direction. Subjects were seven pairs of mothers and infants (four to eight months old). Mothers were instructed to induce their infants to smile. (CM)

The social interactions of 60 mother-infant pairs were observed for 25 minutes in a seminaturalistic setting when the infants were 6 months old and again at 20 months. Forty-six of the infants were termed at high risk for later school failure due to the socioeconomic situations of their families. (Author)

Children's activities with their mothers and the techniques used by mothers while interacting with their child were examined in older (30-46 month) and younger (12-27 month) low socioeconomic status preschool children from high risk (in terms of cultural-familial retardation) and contrast homes. (JMB)

Observational data collected in the homes of 17 abuse, 17 neglect, and 19 control families indicated that abusive and neglectful parents demonstrated lower rates of interaction overall and were more likely to emphasize the negative in their relationships with their children. (JMB)

Twenty-two mothers whose physiologic responses to infant signals had been recorded at an earlier date were videotaped with their infants during a feeding session when the infant was 9 months of age. Infants' development of the object concept was assessed at 15 months. (JMB)

Families were compared at one, three, and nine months to examine the effects of active or passive exposure to the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment. Either the mother or both parents were the target of the intervention. Assessments of interaction behavior between parents and infants revealed no effects of the experimental intervention.…

Three questions are addressed: (1) Are infants as young as six months capable of interacting with a peer? (2) What type of social acts are used during these early encounters? and (3) Do toys facilitate the interactions? (Author/MP)

Examines how conversations between parents and their 2-year-old children change as a function of the number of family members interacting. Results indicate that parental speech to their young children is influenced by the gender of their offspring and the number of family members interacting in the situation. (Author/RH)