This qualitative study examined messages of everyday communication (small talk and routine interactions). The importance of these messages was highlighted in light of their role in creating structure, safety, and meaning making in the family at the end of life. In addition, family rituals that developed from children's everyday communication were…

Observations of conflictual family interaction have revealed that several distinctive behavior patterns tend to occur during the course of a family dispute. Patterns such as negative reciprocity, positive reciprocity, and coercion have been described and utilized as predictors of marital satisfaction and parent-child relations. This study examined…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a 3-year project which analyzed the speech and related behaviors of 28 young children (mean age 52.5 months) who stuttered, their mothers, and similar non-stuttering children and mothers. A loosely structured conversation between each mother and child was recorded and analyzed. In…

Comparison of 18 mothers and their late-talking male toddlers with 18 mothers and their typically developing male toddlers found no significant differences in degree of synchrony between mothers and children, mothers' use of social cues, play synchrony, compliance, or overall communicativeness, although the late talkers made significantly fewer…

Examines whether vocal exchanges between preverbal infants and their mothers show characteristics similar to those found to be typical of conversational exchanges between competent adult speakers. (HOD)

The interaction behaviors in free play of 31 mothers of children (ages 15-61 months) with visual impairments were compared to those of mothers of children with mild developmental delays. Results found that mothers of children with visual impairments were more physically involved, used more controlling strategies, and spoke more than the other…

This paper reviews studies of conversational turn-management timing behaviors used by children who stutter and their parents. Temporal aspects of conversations between children who stutter and their parents do not differ significantly from parent-nonstuttering child conversations. Parental manipulation of speech rate and response-time latency may…

The rate of sexual activity among adolescents has been rising steadily in the last 10 years, and adolescents are initiating sexual activity at younger ages. It has been widely assumed that parents can have an effect on their adolescent's sexual behavior and attitudes. This study was designed to investigate how parent-adolescent communication…

This pamphlet presents guidelines and tips for parents on setting limits for the behavior of young children. The need for limits and the goal of teaching children self-control are explained. Some general guidelines for limit setting are provided which include making the limits age-appropriate, recognizing the child's need for practice and…

Explores the hypothesis that parenting practices of abusive mothers are characterized by (1) greater use of power-assertive strategies, (2) less flexible behavior with respect to child compliance attempts, (3) more inconsistent use of parenting techniques, and (4) diminished affective quality. (HOD)

In this study of maternal interpretations of infant behaviors, seven mothers of infants with Down syndrome identified 18 of 22 subcategories of potentially meaningful infant behavior previously identified by mothers of typically developing infants. These seven mothers also identified an additional category: developmental status-abilities.…

The marital relationship may have indirect, or second order socialization effects on the parent child relationship. To investigate the second order socialization effects in parent adolescent relatioships, 44 mostly white, middle-class families with a 13-year-old adolescent child were videotaped in three separate situations: adolescent with mother,…

Empirical findings have supported an inverse relationship between closeness to extended family and friends versus spouse. The three foregoing interpersonal relationships in terms of affective quality, direction and dominance were investigated, using an objective test as well as the TAT. Bellak (1986) considered that the strength of the TAT lies in…

The Infant Parent Social Interaction Code was developed to measure infant-parent interaction utilizing four parent variables, four infant variables, and one dyadic variable for which operational definitions were developed. Preliminary and validation studies with a total of 232 infants and toddlers suggest the measure reveals important interactive…

The presentation described in this booklet provides the teacher with knowledge needed to help children achieve positive emotional and intellectual growth. It explains how to engage children in talk/dialogue that will help them make profitable choices; choose healthy emotions; overcome anger, anxiety and worry; learn to control their thoughts; and…