The adaptive style theory proposes that given a sustained aversive maternal control experience children will come to adopt one of two perceptual orientations toward evaluative cues. This postulate was tested by exposing 78 late adolescent males to an array of evaluative words which they were told came from a maternal source. As predicted,…

Research on child influence upon parent behavior motivated the development of a Parent Report of Child Behavior Toward the Parent Inventory. Internal consistency reliabilities of 31 five-item scales ranged from .69 to .95 with a median of .88. Varimax rotation of three principal component factors yielded dimensions of Control, Acceptance versus…

Demonstrates that a mother's perceptions of and behavior toward an infant can be influenced by knowing whether the infant was born prematurely or full-term. Differences in maternal behavior arising from this knowledge appear to produce differences in the infant's behavior. (HOD)

This is the first stage of a research project concerned with the various ways in which parents perceive and categorize children's behavior and the effect this perception may have on parental reaction to such behavior. The present study compared the various ways in which mothers and fathers perceptually categorize the behavior of girls and boys. A…

Two interviews with each of eighty-six children, three to five years of age, indicate that boys and girls can verbalize perceptions at this age. Perceptions and concepts relating to "goodness and "badness are categorized and illustrate sex patterns, role perception, and criteria for children's assessments. (Author)

Parents completed the Locke-Wallace Scale, the Interpersonal Checklist, and the Children's Behavior Checklist to assess marital satisfaction, congruence of perceptions, and agreement in perceptions of their child and child adjustment. Variables were positively intercorrelated. Similarity in partners' self-concepts and psychological empathy were…

Personality theorists have suggested the critical importance of parenting characteristics on the development of a child's personality. Missildine's (1963) classification of parenting characteristics and their effects on the adult personality were investigated using an experimental measure, the Inner Child Inventory (ICI), to assess perceived…

The television viewing behaviors (program preferences) of children as influenced by family-type were examined in this study. To determine family-types, a four-fold typology of family interaction patterns (based on the degree of socio-interpersonal orientation and the degree of concept-idea orientation of the family) was used. Six hundred and…

Studied the response of the extended family to a divorce, examining divorcing children's perceptions of their parents' behavior. Divorcing children experienced their parents' reactions as supportive, non-supportive, or "mixed." Categorized helpful behaviors and patterns of unhelpful parental behavior. Discussed approaches adopted by the divorcing…

Self-perceptions of competence of white, middle-class fifth- and tenth-grade girls were examined in relation to (a) maternal variables and (b) self-esteem and anticipated role pattern (career aspirations and desired family size). Subjects were 79 fifth-graders and 51 of their mothers, and 49 tenth-graders and 38 of their mothers. Results are…

Findings reported here suggest that although cultural background is significantly related to children's reported behavioral dispositions, perceived parental acceptance-rejection accounts for a larger portion of the variance in children's self-reported behavioral dispositions than does culture. (Author)