This 6-month prospective study examined how differences in the frequency and nature of early mother-toddler conflict at 30 months related to individual differences in children's socioemotional development at 36 months. Findings indicated that mothers' use of justification, resolution, and mitigation in conflict at 30 months during laboratory tasks…

Mothers' child rearing and discipline, and toddlers' anxiety and compliance to mothers' demands, were measured. Measures of children's conscience, taken six years later, were related to maternal child rearing practices that deemphasized the use of power, and the level of toddlers' compliance to maternal demands. (BC)

Examined the long-term consequences of mother-child mutually responsive orientation for the development of conscience at early school age. Found that mutually responsive orientation at toddler and preschool ages predicted children's conscience, even after controlling for developmental continuity of conscience. Toddler mutually responsive…

Observations and interviews of 20 middle-class preschoolers and their mothers were conducted to examine the emergence of the personal domain. Found that preschoolers make a conceptual distinction between personal and moral or conventional issues, and that mothers were more likely to negotiate with children over personal than social events. (MDM)

Examined moral development in maltreated and non-maltreated 3- and 4-year-olds through observation of child compliance/noncompliance during a cleanup situation following play. Found that abused children exhibited less internalization than non-maltreated. Neglected children showed more negative affect than others. Found no group differences in…

Examined the emotional reactions of toddlers to two mishaps. Children's reactions varied along two dimensions: tension and frustration and concerned reparation. Mishaps elicited more negative emotions than did free play, and most toddlers attempted to correct the mishap. Findings indicate that children's styles of emotional response to mishaps may…

Explored children's conscience using narrative measures of responses to hypothetical moral dilemmas and objective measures. Found that children who experienced more power-assertive maternal discipline produced fewer themes of commitment to and concern about good behavior and were more poorly internalized on observed and mother-reported measures.…

Examined the relationships between certain socialization experiences and social judgments among 54 inner-city, African American kindergartners from low-income families. Results indicated that in evaluating transgressions children distinguished between moral and social-conventional issues when explaining why they were wrong and in terms of rule and…