Provides overview of attachment theory as parented by John Bowlby in "Attachment and Loss". Uses two major concepts from this work to interpret refinements and elaborations of attachment theory attibuted to Mary Ainsworth. Considers how recent insights into development of socioemotional understanding and development of event…

This study focused on mothers' affective and behavioral responses to hypothetical displays of preschoolers' relational and physical aggression. We hypothesized that lower levels of negative affect and a lower likelihood of intervening in conflicts would occur for relational aggression than for physical aggression. We also expected significant…

Used weekly-obtained longitudinal observational data of infant crying, fretting/fussing, and smiling and the time spent in physical contact with mother to examine behavioral variability over a 15-month period. Found evidence of an important intraindividual variability between newborn and 5 months, and 5 and 10 months, but not between 10 and 15…

Tested a two-step infant preventive intervention model. Subjects were 147 multiproblem mothers and their infants. Data partially supported the model. Additional analyses explored factors associated with individual differences in delivery of services and response to treatment. (RH)

Examined relations between representational models of mother-child relationships of mothers and children ages 14 to 52 months (some diagnosed with cerebral palsy or epilepsy) and maternal characteristics, child disability status, and maternal behavior in a problem-solving task. Found that representations are related to caregiving behavior apart…

Discussion reflects on the notions of the constructionist viewpoint in development, of integration, and of individual uniqueness, by drawing on studies of mother-infant interaction, the development of 24-hour infant state organization and regulation, and life span development. The logic of construction by which an individual shapes his or her…

Tested model relating girls' pubertal timing to mothers' history of psychopathology, mediated by family discord and father absence/stepfather presence. Found that mothers' history of mood disorders predicted earlier daughters' puberty, with the relation fully mediated by dyadic stress and biological father absence. Stepfather presence best…

The central question addressed in this study was: What factors are associated with individual differences in academic motivation among first-grade students who were born to low-income adolescent mothers? Data from a 7-year longitudinal study were used to address the question. First-grade teachers assessed academic motivation for 89 children at the…

The purposes of this study were to operationalize individual empowerment within the context of the MOMobile Program, to explore the relationships formed between MOMobile Advocates and their clients, and to develop an appropriate survey instrument for assessing the impact of a Community Health Worker (CHW) intervention in a community-based social…

A study of the advantages and disadvantages of various types of infant care provided by someone other than the mother is presented. Problems listed as occurring in intervention programs include: maternal-child attachment, individual differences among infants, planning problems, and emotional-social development. Types of intervention studied are:…