Maintains that the controversy concerning the effects of early nonmaternal care on the quality of infant-mother attachment is in part the product of fundamental theoretical differences among researchers. (BB)

Examined the concordance between mother-infant attachment behavior and patterns of mother-child reunion responses when the children were age six. Found that concordance between four types of attachment status was 82%. Also found a correlation between children's observed social competence at age five and their reunion patterns at age six. (MDM)

Assessed mother-infant attachment in a low-income population in Chile. Underweight children and children with adequate weight were classified as secure or anxious by means of the Ainsworth Strange Situation. Underweight children showed more anxious attachment, and anxious children showed the most serious weight deficits. (BC)

Examined variation in and relationships among delinquency, attachment to adults, optimism about occupational future, and disposition toward aggressiveness in German adolescent apprentices. Found considerable variation across the four variables. Attachment to adults predicted attitudes toward delinquency and optimism regarding occupational future.…

This article describes the Pride in Parenting Group Intervention Curriculum, developed as part of a multicomponent intervention with a population of indigent African American women and their infants. Exit interviews with 57 mothers indicated parent satisfaction was high for developmental and parenting information and for the support of the group…

Notes that, although a great deal is known about affective relations between mothers and young children and affective expression in marital dyads, relatively little is known about emotional development during adolescence. Briefly discusses the studies presented in this issue that represent an integration of work currently being conducted on affect…

This study investigated the relationship of parental attachment (Parental Attachment Questionnaire) and on-campus social support (People in My Life) to college adjustment (Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire) among 186 Black students' on predominantly White campuses. Parental attachment was found to contribute to the explanation of college…

The relationship of current and childhood attachment security to indices of current distress and coping resources were assessed with a sample of 250 college students. Participants reporting insecure childhood attachment but current attachment security were found to be similar on measures of current distress and resources for coping as those with…

Rather than being nurtured into healthy beings, the children who experience rejection and blame can become discouraged and angry. They respond with escalating, acting-out behavior to the perceived hostile environment. Success with these children requires adults who can live with them in their world without becoming entangled in counteraggression.…

This conceptual article examines what is meant by the term "ecological-contextual" in relation to the assessment of children's needs. Revisiting the discipline of ethology, the article applies the construct of niche to the human species, including examples from children's experiences to validate the relevance of this link. Issues of…

This study tested a model of the association between maternal and child anxiety that views mother and child attachment beliefs and children's perceptions of maternal control as mediators of the association. The study was conducted with mothers and their children aged 6 to 17 (N = 88). Maternal anxiety was significantly associated with child…

This research examines the connection between physical abuse and social isolation. Using data from the National Youth Survey, a measure of self-perceived social isolation was constructed indicating the extent to which respondents feel detached from their friends and from school. Those who had experienced violence were predicted to be more isolated…

Objective: The purpose of this research project was to examine the relationship between parenting stress and a child's ability to functionally communicate within families who participated in an early intervention developmental disability program. Method: Using a two-group, cross-sectional survey design, this study explored the above relationship…

A substantial literature documents a gender reversal in many aspects of social psychological functioning during adolescence, in which girls fall below boys in domains in which they once enjoyed advantages. This study elaborates upon recent research from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health suggesting that this phenomenon may occur…

Based on research in infant sign language, this book teaches parents methods of communicating with their infants through the use of simple bodily movements that signify objects, events, and needs. Noting that communication between parent and child can flourish between 9 months and 30 months, when a baby's desire to communicate outstrips the…