The recent literature on Latino persistence does not take into account these students' distinct cultural backgrounds. Most researchers of Latino persistence use the self-designation "Latino" as a proxy variable representing Latino culture. A Latino Critical Theory (LatCrit) lens is applied to the persistence literature to demonstrate the…

Background: Despite the increased risk of depression and conduct problems in children of depressed parents, the mechanism by which parental depression affects their children's behavioral and emotional functioning is not well understood. The present study was undertaken to determine whether parental depression represents a genuine environmental…

Primarily using self-report questionnaires and psychometric tests in a sample of 357 Chinese high school students, this study examines how both individual and environmental factors can independently predict student creativity as measured by three different methods, including two product-orientated measures (story completion and collage making),…

Bronfenbrenner's (1979) concept of human ecology emphasizes the effect of the environment, both physical and psychological, on individual development. Bronfenbrenner's contexts which affect the development of the individual (microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem) can also be defined for the family in an ecological model of family…

One important source of biological determinants to intellectual behavior is the immediate family of origin. When family history is taken into consideration, it is necessary to examine the environmental aspects of intellectual development in conjunction with the biological. Herein lies the usefulness of a transactional model of development over…

The article reviews J. Garbarino's ecological model as it pertains to the interaction of cultural milieu, social environment, and familial and individual factors in child abuse and neglect. Prevention at all levels of the model is emphasized. (CL)

Parents are one of the most important influences in positive child and youth development, yet too many caregivers, especially those in higher risk families, fail to receive supports that would improve parenting and family functioning. By strengthening parent/caregivers and their connections to resources, communities can improve child and youth…

Family social networks and neighborhoods are suggested as major dimensions of the social environment which facilitate or defer family childrearing processes. These concepts are operationalized by describing the design of a family-oriented early intervention program as an exemplary model of a socio-ecological approach to childhood socialization.…

This paper, which introduces the theme issue, examines the concept of children "at risk" and proposes a framework which includes not only risk but also opportunity factors in child behavior and development. A table presents 30 variables influencing human development and functioning, with associated risk and opportunity factors. (DB)

Discusses the concept of temperament interactions in the context of statistical interaction. Categorizes temperament interactions that involve temperament as an independent variable, as a dependent variable, or as both. Describes use of hierarchical multiple regression for the analysis of temperament interactions. (Author/CI)

Argues that extant research assessing relations between contextual factors and psychological disturbance has confused two different roles of context. Suggests that environmental factors are nonspecific stressors and elicit psychopathology, with specificity of expressed psychopathology governed by individual differences, and that context is…

Examined theoretical model of early environmental action of 282 Caucasian and African American infants, using structural equation modeling. Model included socioeconomic status, early cognitive status, stimulation with home environment, parental use of negative control, and later cognitive status. Models for males and females showed similar…

Examined the association between social problem-solving deficits and adolescent antisocial behavior within the family context, and estimated genetic and environmental effects as part of the Nonshared Environment in Adolescent Development project. Found genetic influence for antisocial behavior but not for problem solving. (Author/KB)

Examined the utility of a 2-step ecological model in predicting externalizing behavior among 144 African American seventh and eighth graders. Found that parental work environment and parental social support had an indirect impact on externalizing by influencing the microsystem variables of parental warmth, parental use of restrictive control, and…

This paper provides a conceptual model of the language learning environment of young children, incorporating child engagement with the physical environment, contributions of child and caregiver, and caregiver mediation of physical environment. A case study illustrates the impact of a relatively simple home environmental intervention on a…