The social networks that rhesus monkeys develop in nature are centered around multiple generations of matrilineal kin embedded in larger social groupings that have some degree of distinctiveness and permanence. Within each family, infants initially grow up in the care of their mothers and the close presence of relatives, and they subsequently…

Behavioral indicators of attachments of children to others are surveyed with emphasis on crying or cued by a mother's departures, separations or absences. Some risks in using single attachment indices are explored. (MS)

The indigenous Japanese concept of amae has provoked interest from scholars across disciplines. Many have provided their own version of defining amae without much attempt to synthesize it into a demonstrative definition. Non-Japanese scholars have attempted to understand the concept through their own interpretations, which has often led to…

The classical attachment theory holds to the notion of a monotropic model. Such a model leads to a view of the mother as first and most important figure in an infant's life. A polytropic view of attachment moves us toward a model of simultaneous and multiple attachment figures. In particular, it is argued that peer attachment is a separate but…

Theoretical and research literature on the role of fathers in childhood development is reviewed. It is suggested that fathers may play an important but qualitatively different role in socialization than mothers and various research designs are suggested to test this hypothesis. (GO)

The aim of this article is to propose a theorization of the father-child relationship based on our current understanding of attachment, interactions between fathers and their young children, and human-specific adaptations. The comparison of mother-child and father-child interactions suggests that fathers play a particularly important role in the…

This article examines the view of infants as passive recipients of social stimulation. It is argued that progress in the understanding of sociopersonality development will be achieved only when the competence of infants and the multidimensionality of the infant social world are acknowledged. (MS)