Data were examined to determine (1) the stability of negative emotional characteristics from early life through adolescence; (2) the degree of relation between these emotional characteristics and adjustment in childhood and adolescence; and (3) the degree to which the characteristics differentially predict multiple adjustment dimensions in…

Considers three questions: Do mothers of siblings show consistency in behavior to their children when observed with each child at 24 months? What stability is there in behavior of mothers toward their children from 12 to 24 months? Are sibling status or genetic factors related to differences between mothers in relative consistency or inconsistency…

Elementary school children's parents responded to video-taped sequences portraying either an overactive, an underactive, or an average-active child. Generally supported hypotheses: (1) overactive children would be punished more severely than other children; (2) the label emotionally disturbed'' would influence adult responses, and (3) affect and…

Two studies assessed the positive affective correlates of secure attachment in infancy and the relation between secure attachment in infancy and competence in the peer group at 3 1/2 years of age. (JMB)

Examined 8- to 10-month-olds' responses to standard procedures eliciting joy, fear, anger, and discomfort. Found that response parameters to standard procedures cohered strongly within each episode. Responses cohered across same-emotion episodes, except for anger. Responses and father-reported temperament related to infant's emotional tone in…

Examined relations between maternal control and evaluative feedback during the second year of life and children's mastery motivation and expressions of self-evaluative affect a year later. Found that negative maternal evaluations at 2 years related to children's later shame, especially when linked to children's actions or products. Positive…

Examined the relations of teachers' and parents' reports of children's shyness at ages 6-8, 8-10, and 10-12 years to dispositional regulation, emotionality, and coping. The overall pattern of findings was partially consistent with the conclusion that parent-rated shyness reflected primarily social wariness with unfamiliar people, whereas…

Assessed the role of maternal affect mirroring on development of prosocial behaviors and social expectancies in 2- to 3-month-olds. Found that infants whose mothers ranked high on affect mirroring (attention maintenance, sensitivity, responsiveness) ranked high on prosocial behaviors and social expectancy, whereas infants whose mothers ranked low…

Observed a laboratory play session to study development of anger expression during middle childhood. Found that 8- to 12-year-olds were remarkably composed in response to taunts from a same-age, same-sex confederate and to losing a computer game for a desirable prize. Also found gender differences in negative comments and gestures, and age…

This study demonstrated separate linkages between 2 features of positive parenting responsiveness to distress and warmth and different aspects of children's socio-emotional functioning, in a sample of 106 children (6-8 years old). As expected, mothers' and fathers' responsiveness to distress, but not warmth, predicted better negative affect…

Using the Ainsworth Strange Situation Procedure, a study examined the interrelations between dimensions of emotion and social interactive behaviors to explore the regulatory role of each in mother-infant interaction and how these roles may change in the second year. (HOD)

The major results were: (a) the Ss as a group rated the blacks more highly than the whites; and (b) familiarization enhanced ratings made by both male and female Ss of the blacks, but not ratings of the whites. (Author)

An investigation of immediate and delayed vicarious reinforcements upon children's imitative self-sacrificing behavior. (Author/MB)

Compares the expression of affect towards parents of 8- to 11-year-old children raised in one of three environments: kibbutz children raised communally with peers, kibbutz children raised in families, and city children raised in traditional families. (SS)

Examined factors that may influence control or expression of children's emotions. Regardless of emotion type, first, third, and fifth graders reported controlling expression significantly more when with peers than with a parent or when they were alone. Age and sex were also factors. Children's primary reason for controlling expression was…