This special issue consists of 20 articles that focus on issues related to Eisenberg and colleagues' (Eisenberg, Cumberland, & Spinrad, 1998; Eisenberg, Spinrad, & Cumberland, 1998) model of emotion socialization processes and its relevance for understanding a range of aspects of children's socioemotional functioning. The various papers…

There is evidence that children of incarcerated parents are at risk of poor developmental and educational outcomes. However, much of this evidence is limited by biased samples, as studies must rely on opt-in recruitment. Administrative data present an opportunity to overcome this challenge, as they capture information on all incarcerated…

This study used data from 356 children, their mothers, teachers, and peers to examine the longitudinal and dynamic associations among 3 dimensions of social competence derived from Hinde's (1987) framework of social complexity: social skills, peer group acceptance, and friendship quality. Direct and indirect associations among each discrete…

Psychologists have long debated the role of early experience in social and cognitive development. However, traditional approaches to studying this issue are not well positioned to address this debate. The authors present simulations that indicate that the associations between early experiences and later outcomes should approach different…

Mexican American adolescents have higher rates of externalizing problems than their peers from other ethnic and racial groups. To begin the process of understanding factors related to externalizing problems in this population, this study used the social development model (SDM) and prospective data across the transition to junior high school from…

This study examines the effects of kindergarten retention on children's social-emotional development in the early, middle, and late elementary years. Previous studies have generated mixed results partly due to some major methodological challenges, including selection bias, measurement error, and divergent perceptions of multiple respondents in…

Suggests that the model by Parke, MacDonald, Beitel, and Bhavnagri (1988) of ways that parents influence children's social development might be used to organize the study of abnormal development in children of depressed mothers. Components of a theoretical model of developmental psychopathology are outlined. (RH)

Proposes that internalization as a result of discipline is based on a child's accurate perception of the parental message and acceptance or rejection of it. Mechanisms promoting acceptance are perceptions of the parent's actions as appropriate, motivation to accept the parental position, and perception that a value has been self-generated.…

Although Grusec and Goodnow provide a compelling framework for organizing disciplinary encounters found to affect moral internalization, their hypothesis remains untested. Researchers need to devise conceptually sound measures of message acceptance and show that message acceptance does indeed mediate internalization before committing themselves to…

Although Grusec and Goodnow make interesting suggestions concerning discipline variables that may affect internalization, their ideas are not integrated into a theory, and their definition of internalization is limited because parent-child similarity may result from children's attributing their values to parents. A theory linking discipline and…

Prenatal cocaine and opiate exposure are thought to subtly compromise social and emotional development. The authors observed a large sample of 236 cocaine-exposed and 459 nonexposed infants (49 were opiate exposed and 646 nonexposed) with their mothers in the face-to-face still-face paradigm. Infant and maternal behaviors were microanalytically…

Notes that Grusec and Goodnow's model of discipline encounters as context for children's internalization of parental values seems best suited for middle childhood and adolescence. Suggests that processes such as social referencing, sensitivity to standard violations, emergence of self, and self-regulation may be important antecedents and signs of…

In response to commentaries on their model of discipline effectiveness, Grusec and Goodnow note that the model places as much emphasis on affect as on cognition and that it is certainly applicable to preschool years. They discuss development of sense of self, ability to self-regulate, and attachment as important precursors of internalization. (MDM)

Used growth modeling to examine relationship of early parenting to cognitive, language, and social development from 6 to 40 months in full-term and very low birth weight (medically low or high risk) children. Found that behaviors that were sensitive to children's focus of interest and did not highly control or restrict their behaviors predicted…

Comments on problems raised in this special issue, focusing on the distinctive aspects of the risk research reported. Highlights issues like sample characteristics, measurement strategies, specificity of risk factors, and risk mechanisms. Discusses the challenges of integrating alternative models of risk, with special references to research into…