Maternal and paternal responses to infant distress are studied to (1) examine differences among two-week-old infants in their levels of irritability; (2) investigate differences among parents in how they soothe their one-month-old infants; and (3) relate these parent and infant behaviors. (BJD)

Effects of the ethnicity of observers on Chicano mothers and sons were evaluated using four female observers, two Anglos and two Chicanas. Verbal interaction, child prosocial and undesirable behaviors, and use of Spanish were recorded in the homes of ten Chicano mother-son pairs. Effects of observer ethnicity were negligible. (Author/NQ)

Analyzed effects of modeling and contingent praise on infant imitation of three responses: motor-with-toy, motor-without-toy, or vocal. Found a systematic increase in the percentages of training and probe models matched by the three 12- to 14-month-olds following introduction of model-and-praise treatment conditions. Nonmatching responses did not…

The objective of this project was to test the effect of the presence of a mother, compared with the presence of an adult female stranger, upon the apprehensiveness of children confronted with novel stimuli. Subjects were 10 children, 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 years old, who were individually placed in a room containing a toy cash register, a marble-race toy,…

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)

Findings from two studies of 42 children with profound developmental delays (26 males and 15 females) using systematic and intense response-contingent learning opportunities interventions are reported. Response-contingent learning games were used to promote the participants' use of behavior that either produced environmental consequences or…

This study investigates the reactive effects of observers on interactions between teachers (undergraduates and mothers) and toddlers in a preventive educational program. Findings indicate that the presence of an observer differentially affects interactional patterns in the home. More specifically, undergraduates and toddlers are relatively…

A conceptual model of the childbirth experience is developed which emphasizes: (1) maternal coping during labor and delivery; (2) postpartum evaluation of the experience; (3) stress and coping; (4) health and illness behavior; (5) interactions between individual physiological and psychological characteristics; and (6) physical and social…

A primary purpose of the present study was to further investigate the effects of children upon parents in order to gain a better understanding of the interactional relationship between parents and children. Subjects were 42 middle and upper-middle class parents and their daughters. Mothers and fathers were first observed separately with their…

The deleterious effects of separation and deprivation using children who were undergoing chemotherapy for childhood cancer was investigated. Extensive observational and physiological records were obtained on four children under five years of age during six weeks of treatment in a protected environment. In general, findings parallel those reported…

A study of the effect of the twin sibling relationship upon interactions between monkey mothers and infants. Findings provided strong support for the prediction that the twin sibling presence decreases the amount of behavior directed from infant to mother. Differences in maternal behavior were concluded to be reactions to differences in infant…

The author uses a developmental model (1) to describe the developmental reinforcement process as it occurs in a child's life, using a hierarchical concept, and (2) to discuss some educational consequences of a reinforcement deficit. The developmental reinforcement process is composed of a hierarchy of four levels. Development takes place in…

Ten normal 3-year-old children and their parents served as subjects for this longitudinal study of the interaction between parent-child relationships and the child's approach to task situations while attending nursery school. To illustrate the nature of the data gathered and observations made in this study, three of the 10 children were considered…

The purpose of the observational system presented here is to record the behavioral interactions between infant and mother, focusing on the sequential and contextual features of the social communication patterns accessible through direct home observation of mothers and their 3- to 4-month-old infants. The present system of continuous data recording…