Examined Chicana child-rearing practices and their relationship to child behaviors as well as the relevance of demographic variables in Mexican American family environment in maternal practices in rearing children. Observed 47 mother-kindergarten child dyads during structured teaching task in family home. Results showed diversity in child rearing…

Used data from National Survey of Families and Households to examine heterogeneity of caregiving experience for female family caregivers. Found caregiving to have negative associations for caregivers in number of domains, with women who cared for their husbands reporting most negative outcomes. Both longer duration of caregiving and coresidence…

Examined differentiation patterns within marital, parental, and parent/child relationships and support level experienced within peer relationships as predictors of anxiety and depression in college students (n=60). Peer support and system of dynamics significantly covaried with reported levels of depression. Only differentiation level found within…

The relationships between social stressors, parental attitudes, and family functioning are examined in parents of newborns (N=542). Significant relationships were found between number of stressors and more functional scores for each of the outcome variables. Results are discussed in terms of primary prevention programming. (Author/EMK)

Adoptive (n=72) and biological (n=72) parents' responses on items related to their own well-being, attitudes toward family life, parenting behaviors and values, and perceptions of their child's behaviors were compared. No differences were found. Findings challenge pathological assumptions about adoptive families, suggesting that deficiency models…

Examined relationship between help seeking behavior and family functioning. Adolescents who sought help clustered into two groups of families - one high in conflict and low in democratic parenting style, and one low in conflict and high in democratic parenting style. Complex relationships between help seeking behavior, type of family, and type of…

The hypothesis that physical aggression in the family affects children's adjustment through both observational learning/modeling and through its impact on parenting was tested, via LISREL, using data from a sample of Canadian children (N=11,221). Results showed observational learning and disrupted parenting provide reasonable explanations of…

This study examined associations between adolescent behaviors, maternal depressive symptoms, and mother-adolescent relationships. Latina mothers and adolescents (111 dyads) completed questionnaires and participated in videotaped discussions. Mothers' depressive symptoms related to adolescents' internalizing and externalizing behaviors and family…

We identify multiple predictors of five types of father involvement in 167 low- to moderate-income two-parent Mexican American families with fifth-grade children. Analyses show that fathers' egalitarian gender attitudes and mothers' education are associated with higher levels of father involvement. Fathers are more involved in monitoring and…

Involving caregivers in their children's services often is assumed to make the delivery of child-focused services more effective. We examined the relation of caregiver involvement in children's early intervention programs EIPs with caregiver-child interaction. Participants were 99 low-income single caregivers whose children [less than or equal to]…

Data from the New York City Moving to Opportunity 3-year follow-up were used to examine neighborhood and gender effects on adolescents' family processes. Low-income, minority families in public housing in high-poverty neighborhoods were assigned randomly to (a) move to private housing in low-poverty neighborhoods only, (b) move to private housing…

Evaluated a parent education program for fathers, which used a systematic skills approach focusing on communication skills. The program resulted in an improvement in fathers' communication skills, specifically, in their overall sensitivity. Significantly more experimental than control children perceived positive changes in their relationships with…

Studied the role of the family in delinquent rehabilitation using a survey of 94 juvenile offenders and their parents. Results revealed a gross lack of information in parents about rehabilitation and post-release adjustment. Evaluates a pilot family education project addressing specific information deficiencies and presents recommendations for its…

Compared families with an adolescent girl who scored high on maturity, with families with an adolescent girl who scored low. Adolescents in the high scoring group came from families described as flexible and trusting. The high scoring adolescents were less likely to be triangled into the marital relationship. (Author)

Examines how parents use nonverbal behaviors in family situations. Results revealed that nonverbal behaviors which parents model for their children vary with the number of family members interacting, the gender of the offspring, and the gender of the parent. Results were discussed in terms of family dynamics. (Author)