We apply a biopsychosocial conceptualization to attention development in the 1st year and examine the role of neurophysiological and social processes on the development of early attention processes. We tested whether maternal behavior measured during 2 mother-child interaction tasks when infants (N = 388) were 5 months predicted infant medial…

Methodological challenges associated with measurement reactivity and fatigue were addressed using diary data collected from mothers (n = 47), fathers (n = 39), and children (n = 47; 8-13 years) across 56 consecutive days. Demonstrating the feasibility of extended diary studies with families, on-time compliance rates were upward of 90% for all…

Studies the communication of affect between depressed mothers and their infants and its relation to infant socioemotional and cognitive development through face-to-face interaction. Findings indicate that there are correspondences between the behavior of depressed mothers and their infants. (Author/BB)

Thirty mothers of Title 1 children (5-11) were matched for marital status, sex of children, ethnic background, age, and level of formal education. They were randomly assigned to a waiting-list control group, a parent treatment group, and a parent-and-significant-others treatment group. The dependent measures were the following: (a) "the way I feel…

The Mutual Regulatory Model is used to describe the infants' dual task of regulating simultaneously his internal emotional state and his engagement with the external environment. (Author/BB)

Observed face-to-face interactions between 39 mothers and their first and second-born two-month olds to evaluate within-family differences in maternal affective behavior toward siblings. Found that mothers were more positive with second-borns than firstborns, and second-borns were more positive than firstborns. Siblings' affective behaviors were…

Presents studies on primates and human infants suggesting that maternal depression may predispose the infant to chronic depression. Findings also suggest that the effect of early separations from the mother may provide a model for reactive depression in the infant. (Author/BB)

This practicum attempted to modify the antisocial behavior of 25 early adolescent children classified as having emotional disturbances by a training program to facilitate the development of affective skills in their mothers. The 8-month training program involved discussion groups, social activities, and individual and/or small group meetings with…