Ecology is the relationship between persons and their environment. A caring ecological relationship is dynamic, able to be affected by the internal environment of the person and by the people/animal/plant/object external environmental surround in which a person lives. This paper attempts to examine the nature of ecology and how to facilitate the…

This study examined the relationship between maternal personality factors, as measured by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the development of the attachment relationship. The subjects were 45 firstborn 12-month-olds and their mothers. The sample was preponderantly white, middle class, and married. Mothers completed the…

Integrating concepts from family systems theory, attachment theory, and family socialization theory within a systems theory of public opinion and social movements, this paper concentrates on linkages between family socialization and political attitudes, adding the influence of social structure. The paper holds that family systems theory…

Individual differences in adult attachment have been the focus of recent research on personal relationships. Research has indicated that those with insecure attachment histories were more threatened by a partner's attraction to a rival than were persons reporting secure parental attachment. Higher levels of dispositional jealousy have also been…

The bonding experiences and attachment patterns of 12 adopted and 12 nonadopted 1-year-old infants were compared in order to test the hypothesis that an infant who is not able to bond with his or her primary caregiver soon after birth is at higher risk for the formation of insecure attachment relationships. Attachment of infants to their mothers…

Two experiments explored the influence of neonate characteristics on maternal behavior. Experiment 1 investigated the influence of maternal attribution to the neonate of certain behavioral characteristics on maternal behavior in interaction. After videotaped mother-neonate pair interaction, neonates were removed for a nominal examination. Mothers…

The present study examined longitudinally the origin of a prior finding that mothers who perceived their infant's temperament as either "easy" or "difficult" exhibited a differential psychophysiological response pattern. Additionally examined were the pattern's behavioral correlates and relation to infant-mother attachment.…

Incorporating Elkind's (1979) construct of the personal fable, this investigation focused on the relationship between self-concept and projected attachments to a distant object (i.e., a favorite celebrity). In a repeated measures design, 79 male and female 5th, 8th, and 11th graders and college sophomores completed a set of personality scales,…

A case study is reported in which early "autistiform behavior" in a 4-week-old baby was reversed through intensive mothering. The baby, who had been developing normally, was bottlefed by "strangers" for 2 days and then began to avert her eyes from all people, an autistiform behavior which persisted and grew worse as the mother tried to…

Consistency in characteristics of maternal behavior with different siblings was investigated among 65 economically disadvantaged families, each having two children. Quality of infant/mother attachment was assessed when firstborn children were 12 and 18 months old, respectively, and when secondborn children were 12 months old. When children were 24…

A clinical intervention based on behavioral items from the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (BNBAS) was implemented at a hospital among 40 lower middle class Portuguese mothers between 18 and 35 years old 3 days after delivery. The intervention aimed to promote mother-infant attachment by increasing mothers' awareness of the…

Despite revived interest in the study of relationships, the effect of loss of relationships in adulthood has lacked empirical study. To examine the dimensions underlying peoples' conceptions of their attachments in relationships and their reactions to the loss of relationships, 53 college students (31 females, 22 males) completed a questionnaire…

The issue of whether or not the basic principle guiding the placement of Australian children in need of care is applied in practice is addressed in this expanded seminar paper. It is pointed out that the principle stating that the child's welfare should be of paramount concern has been incorporated into Australian legislation in the Adoption Act…