The effects of remarriage on the parent's and the child's social behavior were studied by comparing 12 children whose biological mothers had remarried, 12 children whose mothers were divorced but had not remarried, and 12 children from intact, father-present families. (Author/RH)

Evaluated whether children view relationally manipulative behaviors as "aggressive." In study one, relational aggression was the most frequently cited angry behavior for girls' interactions; physical aggression was most frequently cited for boys. In study two, relational aggression and verbal insults were the most frequently cited harmful…

Examined the relations of mothers' and fathers' reported emotion-related practices to parents' and teachers' reports of third- to sixth-grade children's social skills, popularity, and coping. Found that mothers' problem-focused reactions were positively associated with children's social functioning and coping, whereas maternal minimizing reactions…

Compared 723 third- and fourth-graders with and without cross-sex friends on measures of social and cognitive competence, endorsement of sex role stereotypes, and family composition. Found that children with primarily opposite-sex friends had poorer social skills than children with mostly same-sex friends, although they were less stereotyped about…

Teachers' ratings of children's constructive coping and attentional control were positively related to boys' social skills and peer status. Children's emotional intensity and their coping behavior that involved acting out were negatively related to girls' and boys' social skills and boys' peer status. Mothers' reports of boys' low emotional…

Using extensive, multifaceted observational and interview data from the Family Socialization and Developmental Competence Project (FSP), this paper examines the claims that androgynes, by comparison with sex-typed individuals, are more effective persons and parents. (Author/RH)

Three studies examined the hypothesis that aggressive-rejected children are unaware of their social status because they are self-protective when processing negative peer feedback. Found that aggressive rejected boys could accurately assess others' social status, but aggressive rejected boys and girls were more unrealistic in assessing their own…

This study of mother-infant pairs investigates sex differences and age differences (infants of 6, 9, and 12 months of age) in mother and infant initiations of interactions and responses to the other's initiations. (SS)

Examined relationships between maternal depression and children's self-concept, self-control, and peer relationships. Found that multiple risk factors, such as the father's mental state and parents' marital status, rather than maternal depression alone, explained much of the variability in children's social and emotional competence. (MDM)

Insecurely attached boys were less liked by peers and teachers; were perceived as more aggressive by classmates; and were rated by teachers as less competent and as having more behavior problems than were secure boys. No such association emerged for girls. Participants were 89 children assessed before and after they entered first grade and their…

Examined the relationship between 41 preschool children's peer competency and the exchange of reciprocal negative affect displays during physical play with parents. Found that fathers who typically responded to their children's negative affect displays with negative affect of their own had children who shared less, were more aggressive, and…

Examined mother-child interaction in play and teaching tasks. Mother-child interaction aggregates represented task orientation, positive emotion, and allowance of autonomy. Maternal interaction aggregates predicted teachers' ratings of children's positive social behavior, assertiveness, and sadness in the preschool setting. (BC)

Examined age differences in the use and effectiveness of social support processes emitted during conversations about real life negative events between preadolescent, adolescent, and adult friends. Participants were 86 same-sex friendship dyads. Results indicated that talking to friends alleviated negative affect in all ages, but factors predicting…

Assessed preschoolers' patterns of emotional expressiveness, emotion regulation, and emotion knowledge. Used latent variable modeling to identify their contributions to social competence, evidenced by sociometric liability and teacher ratings. Found that emotional competence assessed at 3 to 4 years of age contributed to both concurrent and…

Evaluates fourth-to seventh-grade children on two aspects of social cognition: interpersonal understanding and means-ends problem-solving ability. Relates the two variables to sex, age, IQ, social class, and multiple dimensions of competence. Both variables significantly correlated with I.Q. while interpersonal understanding also correlated with…