Twenty 18-month-olds were observed interacting with their mothers and fathers in a structured laboratory setting. Assessed were affiliation and attachment behaviors when the infant was alone with either the mother or father or with both parents and when stranger entered. (Author/MS)

Compiling essays authored by Benjamin Spock and published in popular magazines, this book examines the emotional and physical needs of infants and toddlers. The chapters are: (1) "Communicating with Your Baby: Reading Your Baby's Cues," including information on crying, motor behavior, squealing, and parents' responses; (2) "Parents'…

Examined middle and lower class Anglo-American and Puerto Rican mothers' sociocultural values and perceptions of attachment behavior. Anglo mothers focused on self-confidence, independence, and autonomy, whereas Puerto Rican mothers focused on obedience, relatedness, and demeanor. Findings indicate the need for culturally sensitive models of the…

Children's responses toward strangers, qualities of mother-child interaction, and maternal stresses were examined in 38 mother-child pairs, with children from single and two-parent families. Responses to female and male strangers were observed in a modified Strange Situation. Mother-child interaction was assessed with a modified version of…

This study was intended to determine whether differences in maternal attitude and behavior relate to differences in infants' Strange Situation security classification. Subjects for the present study were 38 white middle-class mothers and their normal, 1-year-old infants (20 male, 18 female). Infants who were classified as to the quality of their…

Maintains that it is premature to conclude that Q-Sort is preferable to Strange Situation for the assessment of attachment security of infants in day care. (BB)

This study of the bidirectional effects of parent-child relations, focuses on the exchange of attachment behaviors, investigating the interactions of twelve 3-member nuclear families in a strange-situation condition. Dyadic and triadic conditions involving parents with their 12-, 18-, or 24-month-old children were observed and videotaped in a…

Argues that happy separations are characterized by good relationships between teacher/caregiver and parents and ample time for parents to be in the classroom environment. Provides 10 suggestions for easing the transition for children starting or changing schools to ease the separation anxiety and to make transitions as smooth as possible. (SD)

Numerous studies have demonstrated predictive links between children's attachment relationships with parents and teachers and their success in the social contexts of child care and school. This body of research underlines the importance of children's ability to establish positive relationships with adults and to effectively use these adults to…

This longitudinal study investigated mother-infant interaction patterns and infant social and emotional development as influenced by maternal and non-maternal infant care and by selected maternal and infant characteristics. Extensive data (including maternal attitude scores, demographic infomration, infant care observations, developmental test…

This document consists of four research reports and one research note focusing on several aspects of the cognitive and emotional development of young children. The first article explores two theories of the relationship between cognition and emotion, reporting on an investigation of that relationship in a simple learning task involving 60 Japanese…

Intended for adoptive parents and adoption practitioners and intermediaries, this book uses the metaphor of space exploration to provide practical strategies for meeting the adopted infant's needs and smoothing the transition. Chapter 1, "Mission: To Explore New Worlds," discusses adoptive and birth parent preparation, loss issues, and society's…