This multi-method study sought to identify parameters of developmental change and stability of child reaction patterns to interparental conflict in the context of family relations in a sample of 223 6-year-old children and their parents followed over the course of one year. Consistent with the sensitization hypothesis, interparental withdrawal and…

Emotional control has traditionally been emphasized in Chinese culture. The primary purpose of the study was to examine the relevance of early affect to social functioning in Chinese children. A sample of children, initially at two years of age, and their mothers in the People's Republic of China participated in this two-year longitudinal study.…

The importance of family to identity is an accepted tenet of identity theories, though there is some dispute about the nature of this parental relationship and its facilitation of identity formation. This study investigated the relationship between the two developmental constructs of identity and attachment. Using the Identity Status Paradigm,…

Extending the work of behavioral scientist Urie Bronfenbrenner on the social and contextual factors influencing human development, this collection of essays, from scholars in a range of disciplines, shows how Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory and research have transformed the way many social and behavioral scientists approach, think about, and…

This set of checklists in separate English- and Spanish-language versions, is designed to help parents and childcare providers determine through observations a child's developmental progress from birth to age 5. The checklists are excerpted from the "Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready" guidebook, written by a retired kindergarten teacher with 25 years…

The purpose of this study was to determine what children's books have been written which can be used in bibliotherapy for the purpose of helping children and adults become more aware of the struggles, concerns, and personal issues that confront children who have learning disabilities. There is a need for this type of children's literature that…

Children who may appear to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may actually be "activity hyper" because they are asked to attend to tasks or activities inappropriate for their age or circumstances. Such preschoolers exhibit overactivity or distractibility due to a number of ecological variables such as a problem with classroom…

Providing several examples of current research efforts, this report describes the research on maternal and child health supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The Institute conducts a coordinated program of research and research training to advance knowledge related to pregnancy and maternal health,…

This study examined the functions of structured modeling and mother-child play settings upon the development of pretend actions in young Down Syndrome children. Subjects were 30 pairs of Japanese children, with a developmental age range of 12-35 months, and their mothers. The children were individually administered five phases of premodeling,…

This study, which focused on the social behavior of 4-year-old children toward peers and adults, investigated relationships of 54 children in California and Japan who were observed for 20 minutes while they were playing in preschool or day care. All their behaviors during the first 30 seconds were observed and written down during the second 30…

This exploratory study of children's use of electronic text systems drew upon site visits, interviews, and data compilations for an overview and synthesis of issues. Systems studied included Green Thumb (videotext, Kentucky); Channel 2000 (videotext, Ohio); KCET (teletext, California); WETA (teletext, Washington, D.C.); QUBE (interactive cable,…

The literature on children's acquisition of sex-typed knowledge, preference, and behavior is reviewed, and a matrix of sex-typing constructs and sex-typed content areas is offered. Two major themes are discussed. The first theme concerns the importance of activities, interests, and peer associations in the early acquisition of sex-typing…

A study, as yet unfinished, sought to replicate, expand, and provide preliminary answers to questions raised in previous research on the development of fantasy play by black children as functions of age, sex, income level, and other environmental factors. Fantasy play involves the attribution to persons, objects, materials, or situations of…

This paper discusses a longitudinal, exploratory study of developmental dimensions related to object permanence theory and explains how multidimensional scaling techniques can be used to identify developmental dimensions. Eighty infants, randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups and one of four counterbalanced orders of stimuli, were…

Teachers and parents should seek effective ways of developing relationships with children to exert positive influence on their psychological, mental, and emotional health. The manner in which a child is treated or talked to by parents and teachers contributes to future abilities to cope, solve problems, engage in decision-making strategies,…