Evolutionary-biological reasoning suggests that individuals should be differentially susceptible to environmental influences, with some people being not just more vulnerable than others to the negative effects of adversity, as the prevailing diathesis-stress view of psychopathology (and of many environmental influences) maintains, but also…

Maintains that it is important to distinguish theory testing from effect-size evaluation when considering the impact of mothering on attachment security. Contends that it is possible that the De Wolff and van IJzendoorn meta-analysis both over- and underestimates mothering effects, as would be the case if infants varied in their susceptibility to…

Examined 3-year-old boys' pride and shame reactions to success and failure on a "rigged" achievement situation. Found that pride and shame were related to task difficulty and success versus failure but unrelated to temperament after one year. Children whose parents were more positive in previous parenting displayed less pride and…

Combines and examines evidence from two longitudinal studies of infant and family development to determine whether experience of extensive nonmaternal care in the first year is associated with heightened risk of insecure infant-mother attachment and, in the case of sons, infant-father attachment. (Author/RWB)

This paper argues that researchers should not investigate child development simply through studies of the child alone or mother-infant interactions, but rather through studies of the family as a system. Data is reported which seem to support this view. A review of recent literature indicates that an adequate account of child development requires…