This paper traces some of the major theories and research findings concerning the development of self-identity during the first two years of life. The discussion begins with some basic assumptions of identity formation, offers an historical perspective with discussion of William James' major aspects of self, and concludes with observations on the…

Study conducted with college-age women to determine the relationship between absence of father in childhood and adult self-concept and interpersonal relationships with men. Results suggest that father absence is not a factor differentially associated with the self-concept of women except in evaluation of self in social situations. (Author/JLF)

Provides a foundation for future experimental research on the origins in mother-infant interaction of sex differences in the development of a separate sense of self. Suggests that sex differences in the experience of a separate sense of self begin to emerge in early infancy and that mothers engage in different types of contact with sons and…

In order to help the child develop his creative potential, it is necessary to understand (1) what personality characteristics distinguish the potentially creative child from the average child and (2) what environmental conditions, if any, facilitate the development of creative behavior. Research on the contribution of attitude, temperament, and…

The authors stress the importance of parental behavior on the development of their children. They present a family communication system which involves procedures to help parents be more capable of rearing their children. Some research results are presented which show that parents undergoing training gained in confidence and became more accepting.…

Notes the resurgence of fathering over the last decade and reviews existing literature on the direct and indirect impact of fathers on children's cognitive and psychosocial development during four growth stages: infancy, preschool, middle childhood, and adolescence. (SJL)

This thesis explores the subject of identity development during late adolescence by analyzing research from three studies: "Self-concept and questions of life: Identity development during late adolescence" (Adamson and Lyxell, 1996); "Adolescent identity--a qualitative approach: Self-concept, existential questions and adult contacts" (Adamson and…

Former Berkeley Free Speech Movement activists' sociopolitical status, self constructions, perceptions of parents' child-rearing practices, and moral reasoning were compared with assessments made 11 years earlier. An argument was made for their continued political and psychosocial distinctiveness as a generational cohort although some important…

Guided by specific theoretical and methodological points of view--the phylogenetic perspective and the universalistic approach respectively--this paper reports on a worldwide study of the antecedents and effects of parental acceptance and rejection. Parental acceptance-rejection theory postulates that rejected children throughout our species share…

This paper presents a review of the research related to the development of self concept in both "normal" and "abnormal" children. The problems and limitations of self concept research are discussed, followed by an analysis of self concept as related to: (1) the developmental factors in childhood (with specific references to the work of S.…

Discussed are principles of nonverbal therapy for deaf children with disorders in the development of self, and the possible existence of a relationship between lack of auditory experiences in deaf children and disorders in mother-child bonding. A case study presents a three-year-old deaf boy successfully treated through a nonverbal…

Developed a model of individuation in family relationships focused on communicative processes. Expressions of four dimensions of the model (self-esteem, separateness, permeability, and mutuality) were predicted to be positively associated with identity exploration in adolescents. Analysis of observations of families in a Family Interaction Task…

Erikson marked adolescence for the prime developmental task of identity achievement. An examination of 31 mothers, aged 25 to 45, revealed that foreclosure of identity development was the norm for this sample in adolescence and that, for those who had achieved identity, the subsequent status change was related to the liberating influences of…