As part of a study of mother-child interaction, 31 children were observed at 21 and 35 months of age to assess the influence of the birth of a sibling on the stability of temperament. All subjects were only children when they were surveyed at 21 months of age. By the time of the second observation, when subjects were 35 months old, the birth order…

Three studies investigating the emergence and early refinement of intelligent self-correction are described. Forty-one children ranging in age from 18 to 30 months served as subjects. Parents taught their children a hide-and-seek game in which the parent hid a toy in natural locations in the home while the child watched. After a 3- or 5-minute…

This study of the processes guiding children's gender-linked conduct focused on ages prior to the development of self-regulatory control through the exercise of self-evaluative reactions. The study sample consisted of 29 boys and 33 girls in Australia between 17 and 48 months old. Measures included: (1) a videotaped toy play session in which…

This study examined individual differences in parent-child play styles and their links with children's play behavior with peers. Mothers and fathers were videotaped playing with their toddler in toy play and physical play, and completed a project-designed questionnaire on their beliefs about child development. Children were observed separately in…

This study investigated toddlers' reactions to morally related events to determine whether age was a factor in emotional reaction, whether the middle of the second year was a salient time for the emergence of emotional reactions to such events, and whether heart rate change could be used as a new measure of moral responsivity. While their heart…

This study examined prior qualitative differences in the process of the emergence of verb use in two sisters when they were each 12 to 24 months of age (the older sister is 2 years and 9 months older than the younger sister). Daily diaries on both children were kept by the mother, who noted emergent structure and vocabulary. Systematic Analysis of…

SoonerStart is a collaborative interagency effort that provides services to approximately 2,000 developmentally delayed infants and toddlers in Oklahoma. In rural north-central Oklahoma, the early intervention team consists of a regional coordinator, resource coordinator (case manager), child development specialist (lead clinician), nurse, speech…

This study examined transcripts of 63 mealtime, dyadic interactions of mothers and their children. An earlier investigation of the effects of social class and communicative setting on maternal speech found a significant class difference and within-class variability in the amount of speech mothers directed to their children. There were significant…

Two hypotheses related to the emergence of multiword speech were explored: (1) that multiword speech follows developments in children's ability to map communicative intents to single-word expressions; and (2) that the acquisition of these mapping principles paves the way for the emergence of syntax. The developments consist of an increase in the…

The Parental Attitudes Toward Childrearing Questionnaire, which assesses parental warmth, encouragement of independence, strictness, and aggravation, was completed by 92 mothers and fathers when their child was 20, 26, and 32 months old. Analyses assessed covariation between parents across time points. Also assessed were the possibilities that:…

The Living Systems Framework was used to generate four categories of parent behaviors that might affect processes responsible for eliciting prosocial behavior in children: (1) teaching values, rules, and standards; (2) providing opportunities for rehearsal and mastery; (3) providing opportunities for self-regulation and self-control; and (4)…

For this study of the influence of the diameter of implements on children's drawing products, performances, and preferences, toddlers and preschoolers were observed while they drew with primary (larger-sized) and standard markers, pencils, and crayons. The relationship between drawing and early home manipulative experience was also investigated. A…

Two types of operating principles thought to play an important role in early lexical development are discussed. The principles are those concerned with: (1) assignment of reference or meaning to words; and (2) formation and evolution of categories. Discussion also addresses related issues, such as the developmentally important relationship between…

To find predictive relations between measures taken in infancy and later scores on intelligence tests, a study was made that measured in the infant those cognitive processes examined later in life. Operant conditioning tasks were employed which required 3-, 7-, and 11-month-old infants to execute some response to produce an environmental…

A study attempted to determine dimensions of maternal adaptation of language to the level of their young children's speech, and whether patterns of maternal adaptation can be described as interactive maternal styles. Links were sought between aspects of maternal language adaptation and child language level. Participating were 6 mother-child dyads…