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.…

In a second follow-up study of sibling interaction, 24 pairs of same-sex siblings and 24 pairs of mixed-sex siblings were observed in their homes 18 months after the first follow-up and 3 years after the initial observations. The patterning of interaction was similar to that observed earlier. (Author/DR)

Effective family problem solving was studied in 97 families of elementary-school-aged children with definite- and indefinite-solution tasks. Incentive and task independence were manipulated. It was found that definitions of effective problem solving based on directly observed measures of group interaction were more valid than definitions based on…

Studies influences and interrelations of family dynamics and of varying quality of child-care on the child's capacity for compliance and self-regulation. Multiple regression techniques were used to examine relationships between child care, family, and child and parent behaviors. (Author/DR)

Developed a model of individuation in family relationships focused on communicative processes. Expressions of four dimensions of the model (self-esteem, separateness, permeability, and mutuality) were predicted to be positively associated with identity exploration in adolescents. Analysis of observations of families in a Family Interaction Task…