No differences were found in mother-infant attachment between nonadopted and intraracial adopted subjects or between intraracial and interracial adopted subjects. Suggests that the higher incidence of psychological problems found among adoptees in middle childhood and adolescence cannot be explained in terms of insecure attachment relationships…

This study correlated depression in 220 six-to-twelve-year-old children with parental perceptions and with teacher report card ratings of school achievement and adjustment. Symptoms of depression were discovered in 10 percent of the children. Parental awareness of symptoms and correlations with report card marks are discussed. (Author/MT)

Examined relations among parents, stepparents, and children after separation and divorce. Results suggest that most children have little contact with their nonresident parents, and what contact there is tends to be social rather than instrumental. However, when the former spouse remains active, stepfamily life does not seem to suffer. (Author/BL)

Assessed how reports of parental discipline and control were related to adolescent sexual attitudes and behavior. Adolescents' perceptions of parental strictness and rules show a curvilinear relationship to their sexual attitudes and behavior; sexual permissiveness and intercourse experience was highest among adolescents who viewed their parents…

Reports a study of interactions of middle-class parents from 27 Swedish families, designated as shared child care or traditional families, with their first-born infants, aged 8 to 12 months. Suggests that differential involvement in child care has significant effects on fathers' behavior. (DR)

To ascertain whether marital quality influences parental teaching strategies in different instructional contexts, mother-child and father-child interactions were observed during a book-reading and a direct instruction task. While few differences in teaching styles were detected between nondistressed husbands and wives, teaching styles of mothers…

A total of 38 first-born kibbutz-reared infants and their parents were observed at infants' eighth and sixteenth months. Mothers were found more likely to vocalize, laugh, display affection, hold, and engage in caretaking than fathers were. Infants displayed no preference for either parent, and daughters approached parents more often than did…

A review of factors contributing to parental physical abuse of children with handicaps found that abuse was a response to an interaction of variables within the parent, child, and environment. These variables were associated with many characteristics of families with handicapped children. Characteristics of abused children were similar to…

Argues that none of the conventional methods for assessing attachment meet all criteria. Describes development of a 100-item sort for assessing secure attachment in toddlers, closely tied to Bowlby's control systems model of attachment. Evaluates the Q-sort in terms of criteria for valid thoery-based assessments that have applicability beyond this…

Parents of gifted children can provide a disciplined home environment for their children via three approaches for setting limits: "focusing" on behavior in family conferences, contracting, and jointly structuring activities to promote acceptable behavior at home. (CL)

A disabled woman reviews the ways in which parents can communicate positive and realistic expectations about their disabled children's future. The importance of direct communication regarding sexuality and prejudice is emphasized. (CL)

Methodological issues that may account for discrepant findings in research on mother-child dialogue are cited, and studies of normal language-learning children and their mothers are reviewed along with cross-cultural studies. How language impaired children act on their linguistic environment and within which interaction situations is seen as…

A study of 16 mother-child pairs found that parents' non-verbal behaviors affect child compliance with parental requests. Five behaviors were investigated: distance from child; mother's body orientation; eye contact; tone of voice; and mother's orientation toward objects involved in the instruction. Parent training clinics should recognize the…

Discusses the role of geographic distance in the quality of parent-child relationships. Reviews research findings, presents exploratory analyses of two research projects, and organizes key concepts (structure, association, affection, value consensus, functional assistance, and the normative base of each) regarding the relationship of distant child…

Discusses a workshop designed to provide middle-aged adults with information and opportunities to process their attitudes, emotions, and the realities of exchanging roles with aging parents. (Author)