Behaviors observed in 47 families interacting at home were recorded in terms of interactions between a target child and other family members. The types of behaviors emitted by a target child to parents versus siblings were analyzed as were the types of responses that parents versus siblings gave to the target child's behavior. (Author/RH)

In summarizing the results of naturalistic observations of children, it is often useful to have a reading of the child's overall deviance and the responses of social agents to these deviant behaviors. Traditionally, investigators have categorized a series of child behaviors as deviant based solely on their own assumptions with no empirical basis…

The present study investigated differences between referred and nonreferred children and their families on the basis of home and clinic observations and parent questionnaires. Subjects were 28 families with children between 4 and 8 years of age who had been referred to a clinic for acting-out behavior and 28 nonreferred controls matched on several…