Claims little factual evidence exists for proposition that child rearing styles and family environments are formative of personality traits. Contends nonintellectual traits seem to be determined instead by genetic influences and relatively specific environmental influences, most of which are particularly tied to the family or parental treatments.…

Summarizes results of a study of parents and young adolescents and argues that economic recessions affect children by conditioning their aspirations, straining their relations with their parents, and limiting the quality of the education they receive. (PCB)

Summarizes theories and research pertaining to the mother-daughter relationship, emphasizing works that focus on theory development or that utilize mother-daughter samples. Concludes with a brief discussion of the extent to which research supports contemporary mother-daughter theories. (TE)

Some techniques parents use in teaching the content of picture books were studied using 72 three-year-olds, whose parents read them two picture books. Testing for recall and rereading the book were found to be effective for teaching the content. (SLD)

Two studies tested three- and five-year-old children's ability to use multiple-referent and inclusion strategies to interpret new words. In both studies, children interpreted labels for single objects at the basic level. The multiple-referent and inclusion strategies led children to interpret novel words at the superordinate level. (RH)

Found that secure-secure dyads were more harmonious, less controlling, and more responsive than secure-insecure dyads. There were no differences between secure-secure and secure-insecure dyads on measures of coordinated play, cohesiveness, self-disclosure, or play tempo. (RH)

A study examined the career decision-making patterns of 3,858 high school students in Louisiana. The study also addressed the relationship between participation in vocational education and influence on student career decisions. Parents, particularly mothers, were most influential. Vocational teachers had more influence than counselors. (JOW)

The extent to which maternal behavior, children's temperament, age, and family structure variables are associated with dimensions of sibling relationships was investigated with a sample of 96 families with younger siblings aged 3-6 years and older siblings aged 5-10 years. (PCB)

Eighth-graders' (N=1,513) responses to a smoking questionnaire and a self-esteem scale revealed that 15 percent currently smoked, with another 17 percent intending to smoke. Self-esteem and parental smoking behavior significantly influenced students' smoking behavior, as did family involvement in the tobacco industry. (Author/CB)

Examined effects of parental behaviors and accuracy of perception of parents' socialization goals on value transmission between parents and children in 82 families. Found strongest predictor of parent-child value congruence to be accuracy of children's perceptions of parents' socialization values. Attributions of values between parents and…

This biographical essay focuses on Elizabeth Cady Stanton's strict religious upbringing and her conversion to a more rationalist ethic. Discusses Stanton's involvement in the abolitionist movement and draws parallels between the ideals of Jacksonian democracy and the early suffragette movement. (MJP)

Assessed the predictability of friendship participation and quality, and of popularity, of 154 children 8 to 12 years of age. Found intergenerational similarities between qualities of mothers' and children's friendships. Results suggest domain-specific parental influences, including marital status, on children's friendships. (DR)

Teasing involves unexpected, novel, ambiguous, and destabilizing parental behaviors toward children. Teasing is displayed more often by fathers than mothers. Teasing may have a positive impact on cognitive and social development, because teasing introduces novelty and ambiguity, as well as negotiation of a struggle. (TM)

Families of preschoolers with mild handicaps (n=65) were compared with families of nonhandicapped children (n=60) by means of the Parent Behavior Checklist and Child Behavior Checklist. Mothers of the mildly handicapped sample had lower developmental expectations than did mothers of the nonhandicapped sample. Parents also rated their…

Examined the role of maternal coping and control beliefs in the development of coping and locus of control in their adolescent children. Found that maternal coping effects form a base for the form and character of adolescent coping but that maternal coping rather than maternal locus of control influenced development of adolescent control. (AP)