Reports data on the extent of abuse and neglect (both physical and emotional) in a population of middle-class families. Argues that child abuse and neglect have been studied almost exclusively in working-class communities, particularly socially marginal families. Found emotional neglect predominated over physical aggression because of middle-class…

Reports of parenting styles were assessed in 100 mostly white, middle-class, 6th, 8th, and 10th graders and their parents. Adolescents viewed their parents as more permissive and more authoritarian than parents viewed themselves, whereas parents viewed themselves as more authoritative than did adolescents. Differences were primarily over the…

This study was conducted to observe the effects of social class on the interaction of mothers and their 12-week-old infants. Data on the infants' cognitive and attentive behavior was also obtained. Each of 32 white and black infants from five different levels of social class was observed at home for two full hours of waking time. Observed infant…

Personal narratives of 20 middle-class Japanese preschoolers, half of them 4 years old and half 5 years old, and their mothers were analyzed using stanza analysis and high point analysis. The patterning in stanzas yielded the following: (1) with regard to the proportion of three-verse stanzas, there were no differences between the groups of…

Do sampling biases introduced in studies requiring a large amount of time make those samples less representative than the samples in studies requiring less subject involvement? This question was explored in the context of mother-infant interaction studies by comparing maternal attitudes of two groups of primiparous mothers: 20 mothers who…

This report is based on a longitudinal analysis of physical-contact interaction of mother-infant pairs throughout the first year of life. The sample consisted of 26 middle-class mother-infant pairs who were observed in their homes for four hours once every three weeks. During each visit, the observer made a running record of everything that…

This study analyzes the perceptions of family of orientation and family of procreation of a white middle- and lower-middle-class sample at four transitional stages. The findings suggest that perceptions of one's parents, spouse and children are strongly influenced by transitional stage and sex. (Author)

Describes three different approaches to parent training used by one agency in order to help parents from a variety of lifestyles to become better and more effective parents. (BD)

This study examined the differential effects of sex of parent, sex of child, and sex of stranger on infant behavior in a stranger-separation situation. Year-old infants (16 males and 19 females) from middle-class families were observed and videotaped twice, at one-week intervals, in a modification of Ainsworth's laboratory stranger and separation…

Reports on the relation between childcare attitudes and mother-infant interaction, using the Maternal Attitude Scale and observation in the home. (Author)

Comparison of low and middle socioeconomic-status mothers shows distinct differences in teaching styles, and indicates why low income children often have difficulty adapting to the middle income school system. (Author/SP)

This study of 12 white, upper-middle-class mothers and their children was conducted to provide information on how verbal aspects of mother-child interaction are differentiated by sex of the child. Results suggest greater verbal quantity and responsivity for mother-female compared with mother-male dyads. (Author/SB)

Sixty-three mother-child dyads, selected from middle- and working-class English backgrounds, were observed in semi-structured teaching activities. Results indicated that middle-class mothers used significantly fewer negative statements and imperatives, and significantly more questions. They were also less intrusive. (Author/KC)

Examined conflicts between middle-class African American preadolescents/early adolescents and their parents. Found that conflicts were relatively frequent, of low intensity, and occurred over issues such as the adolescent's room, chores, activity choices, and homework. Early adolescents rated conflicts as more intense than preadolescents. Mothers'…

Seventy-seven fathers of preschool-aged children enrolled in the Human Development Laboratories program at Colorado State University completed a questionnaire packet of background information, the Attitudes Toward Fathering Scale, and the Father-Child Activity Scale. Analyses of the responses indicated that the fathers' attitudes toward fathering…