While both positive and negative peer interactions have long been a focus of scientific interest, much less attention has been given to children who tend to refrain from interacting with peers. This volume brings together leading authorities to review progress in understanding the development, causes, and consequences of shyness and social…

Six hypothetical compliance relevant situations were described to 58 Japanese and 67 American mothers. Japanese mothers were more likely to utilize feeling-oriented appeals and demonstrated greater flexibility than their American counterparts. American mothers relied more extensively on appeals to their authority as mothers. (Author/GC)

The study revealed the Mexican-American children were less mature. Factor structures for both groups are analyzed. (ST)

Are there universal characteristics of adult thought? If so, how do they evolve and manifest themselves in cultures throughout the world? Piaget's formulation of formal operations is the best known and most extensively researched answer to the question regarding universal characteristics. Theoretical alternatives to formal operations differ in the…

Why do American infants have a greater amount of vocalization, and particularly of happy vocalization, than do Japanese infants? To answer this question, 30 Japanese and 30 American first-born, 3- to 4-month old infants equally divided by sex, and living in intact middle class urban families were observed in their homes on two consecutive days…

An experimental task with accompanying apparatus was developed for use in the study of developmental and cultural differences in the cooperative-competitive behavior of children in a small Mexican town and in California. Two groups of 20 Mexican children (aged 7-8 and 10-11), from an elementary school in a town in Baja, California, Mexico, were…

The effects of obstetrical medication on neonatal behavior were studied using a sample of 64 Israeli infants from medicated and non-medicated mothers. Most medicated mothers received a base dose of 75 mg. of Meperidine plus a base dose of 25 mg. of Phenergan. Other drugs used included Demerol, Valium, Butalgan, Pitocin, Pantopon, Trilene, Naline,…

From a symposium on Cross-Cultural Studies of Mother-Infant Interaction at the Biennial Meeting for Research in Child Development, Minneapolis, Minn., April 2, 1971. (MB)

Collected behavioral inhibition data from Chinese and Canadian 2-year-olds, and obtained information on mothers' child-rearing attitudes and beliefs. Found that Chinese toddlers were significantly more inhibited than Canadians. For Canadians, inhibition was associated positively with mothers' punishment orientation and negatively with mothers'…

Reviews evidence on reliability and validity of the Children's Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ); presents CBQ data on structure of temperament in childhood. Factor analyses indicate three broad dimensions of temperament: extroversion/surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control. This factor structure also appears in ratings of children in…

This study, which focused on the social behavior of 4-year-old children toward peers and adults, investigated relationships of 54 children in California and Japan who were observed for 20 minutes while they were playing in preschool or day care. All their behaviors during the first 30 seconds were observed and written down during the second 30…

In this study of prominent characteristics of parenting in the United States, France, and Japan, 72 mother-infant dyads were examined. The study focused on three prominent interactive domains of visual and vocal exchange between mother and baby (nurturing, social exchange, and didactic stimulation), examining their frequency of occurrence and…

Examination of the child development beliefs of 40 families reveals that Greek-Australians regard behaviors reflecting initiative and independence, personal maturity, and interpersonal sensitivity to be appropriate at a later age than do Anglo-Australians, but the converse holds true for respect, self-control, and unsupervised activities. Parents'…

This paper presents observational and research evidence to refute two widely held beliefs about psychological development: the belief in predetermined development and the belief in the simultaneous development of all behavioral systems. Studies suggesting the plasticity of development through environmental deprivation and intervention are…