Pooled sibling attachment data to compare attachment relationships to mothers for 138 sibling pairs. Found that sibling relationships were significantly concordant when classified as secure/nonsecure but not when further subcategorized. Maternal insensitivity to both siblings was associated with concordance of sibling nonsecurity. Same gender…

Incorporating Elkind's (1979) construct of the personal fable, this investigation focused on the relationship between self-concept and projected attachments to a distant object (i.e., a favorite celebrity). In a repeated measures design, 79 male and female 5th, 8th, and 11th graders and college sophomores completed a set of personality scales,…

Examined age and gender differences regarding the nature, meaning, and function of cherished possessions. Among the significant differences found were that younger children were egocentric in meanings assigned to cherished possessions, whereas older children held social relationships meaningful; females favored items to be contemplated, while…

In a study examining attachments to celebrity figures, 79 male and female fifth, eighth, and eleventh graders and college sophomores described themselves and their favorite celebrities. It was found that such attachments are equally important to males and females, and that gender and age affect the nature of the attachment. (DM)

Assessed the relationship of attachment status to autobiographical memory in preschoolers. Found that mother-child dyads with insecurely attached daughters engaged in relatively more negative memory talk than those with securely attached daughters. Secure-daughter dyads elaborated more on emotional themes than insecure-daughter dyads. Relations…

Noting that gender may be an important issue when studying relations between attachment and social functioning, four studies explored whether the relationship between children's internal working models of attachment and their general functioning was gender specific. A total of 246 children, ages 5 to 10 years, were given the Separation Anxiety…

Followed from infancy to age 7 internationally adopted children placed before 6 months. Found that girls were better adjusted than boys, except in cognitive development, and that easy temperament related to higher levels of social, cognitive, and personality development and fewer behavior problems. Attachment security and maternal sensitivity…

This study compared the psychosocial adjustment and social behavior of children from divorced or separated single-parent families with that of children from two-parent families. The theory of attachment was adopted as the conceptual framework for the study because of similarities between the behavioral response of children to parental separation…

Examines the social networks of 85 young children as they made the transition from a home-centered to a school-centered existence. As children reached school age, they had increased contact with peers and decreased contact with kin. Children as young as three showed more same-sex than opposite-sex peer contact. (Author/BJV)

Used meta-analysis to examine premise that the early child-parent bond is reflected in interpersonal relationships across the life span. Found that overall effect size (ES) for child-mother attachment was small to moderate. ESs were similar in studies using Strange Situation and Q-sort methods. ESs were larger for middle childhood and adolescent…

Despite the apparent universality of loneliness and its link to psychosocial maladjustment, research on loneliness has emerged rather recently in the history of psychology. This book brings together varied theories and lines of research on loneliness among children and adolescents to provide a source for future research. The chapters are: (1)…

This collection of papers on parent-child relationships consists of three research reports, six research reviews and two position papers on issues critical to research and practice. Papers included were selected on the basis of their relevance to the work of practitioners who counsel parents. The volume's four thematic sections are entitled: (1)…