Identifies and reviews the evidence for some potential functions of proximity seeking in infancy. Data pertaining to a variety of species are reviewed. (Author/SS)

Initial research on maternal reminiscing style established clear and consistent individual differences that vary along a dimension of maternal elaboration and that are related to children's developing autobiographical skills. More recent research has linked maternal elaborative reminiscing to strategic memory development, language and literacy…

Four features of early adolescent friendship have received the greatest attention in the literature: intimacy of conversations, friends' responsiveness to each other's needs and desires, the degree of similarity or complementarity between friends, and the stability of friendships over time. Each of these features and its potential effect on the…

Presents a developmentally grounded perspective on study of social life in cultures that examines sources of coexistence of sociability and opposition, harmony and conflict, acceptance and critique. Proposes that coexistence of these elements is systematically connected both to development of distinct domains of thought and to the dynamics of…

Reviews research on family processes that affect the socioemotional functioning of children in poor families and families in economic decline. (PCB)

Examined role of social anxiety, social withdrawal, and locus of control in the developmental level of interpersonal negotiation strategies (INS) when resolving hypothetical conflicts. Found that sociable children were more likely than socially withdrawn children to exhibit greater competence in INS. Children with internal locus of control were…

Critically reviews research since 1972 on maternal deprivation. Topics discussed include: the development of social relationships and the process of bonding; critical periods of development; links between childhood experiences and parenting behavior; influences on parenting; and possible reasons why so many children do not succumb to deprivation…

Reviews research regarding the sexual identity, personal development, and social relationships of children of gay and lesbian parents. To date, there is no evidence that the development of children of gay and lesbian parents is compromised relative to the development of children of heterosexual parents. (BC)

Considers the nature and developmental functions of physical activity play. Distinguishes three kinds of physical activity play with consecutive age peaks: rhythmic stereotypies, exercise play, and rough-and-tumble play. Considers gender differences and function in terms of immediate and deferred consequences in physical, cognitive, and social…

Key components of human behavioral genetics and Sandra Scarr's work of the past two decades are critically reviewed based on scholarship in animal neuropsychology and clinical and educational psychology. Scarr's opinion that interventions to enhance intellectual development are ineffectual for children from abuse- and neglect-free backgrounds is…

Takes the position, contrary to that of Sandra Scarr, that the details of socialization patterns are crucial to an understanding of normal and deviant development. Research is cited to support the argument that better than adequate parenting optimizes the development of both normal and vulnerable children and that parents' belief in their own…

Reviews and considers the developmental implications of recent evidence on the nature of sibling interaction from observational studies of preschool children. Argues that, in contrast to complementary interaction, sibling influence is most plausibly associated with reciprocal interaction and with sociocognitive development. (Author/RH)