The degree to which vocal accommodation occurred in the interaction of mothers with 27 infants 3- to 5-months old equally divided among three diagnostic groups (heart disease, Down Syndrome, and no known abnormalities) was investigated. Videotapes were made of the infants during 3 minutes of face-to-face play with their mothers. Tapes were coded…

The paper reviews research on parental effects on the child, child effects on the parent, and reciprocal effects for the child's characteristics in general and for conduct disorder in particular. Evidence is cited which suggests validity of both the adult-to-child and child-to-adult effects model. Addressing the question of where the preponderant…

Offers evidence supporting a model of bidirectional effects: the mother initiates maltreatment, but both mother and infant sustain the situation by their behaviors. Maltreated infants did not differ from controls in congenital characteristics, but displayed deviance in learned behavior patterns. Infants showed behavioral improvement after…