Notes that, although a great deal is known about affective relations between mothers and young children and affective expression in marital dyads, relatively little is known about emotional development during adolescence. Briefly discusses the studies presented in this issue that represent an integration of work currently being conducted on affect…

This study investigated the relationship of parental attachment (Parental Attachment Questionnaire) and on-campus social support (People in My Life) to college adjustment (Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire) among 186 Black students' on predominantly White campuses. Parental attachment was found to contribute to the explanation of college…

The relationship of current and childhood attachment security to indices of current distress and coping resources were assessed with a sample of 250 college students. Participants reporting insecure childhood attachment but current attachment security were found to be similar on measures of current distress and resources for coping as those with…

Rather than being nurtured into healthy beings, the children who experience rejection and blame can become discouraged and angry. They respond with escalating, acting-out behavior to the perceived hostile environment. Success with these children requires adults who can live with them in their world without becoming entangled in counteraggression.…

Sex differences in the experience of social support and frequency of burnout were examined in university students from a small Northern Ontario University. An altered version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) (Maslach & Jackson, 1996) termed the AMBI-HSS, and the Social Provisions Scale (SPS) (Cutrona &…

This conceptual article examines what is meant by the term "ecological-contextual" in relation to the assessment of children's needs. Revisiting the discipline of ethology, the article applies the construct of niche to the human species, including examples from children's experiences to validate the relevance of this link. Issues of…

This study tested a model of the association between maternal and child anxiety that views mother and child attachment beliefs and children's perceptions of maternal control as mediators of the association. The study was conducted with mothers and their children aged 6 to 17 (N = 88). Maternal anxiety was significantly associated with child…

Two studies addressed the normative aspects of attachments to mothers and fathers in middle childhood. Using both cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons, we tested the hypothesis that children show no changes in perceptions of availability of attachment figures across the later middle childhood years, but do utilize attachment figures less…

This research examines the connection between physical abuse and social isolation. Using data from the National Youth Survey, a measure of self-perceived social isolation was constructed indicating the extent to which respondents feel detached from their friends and from school. Those who had experienced violence were predicted to be more isolated…

Objective: The purpose of this research project was to examine the relationship between parenting stress and a child's ability to functionally communicate within families who participated in an early intervention developmental disability program. Method: Using a two-group, cross-sectional survey design, this study explored the above relationship…

Attachment theory and resilience theory have developed as two separate bodies of knowledge with their own genealogy. In this paper it is argued that the concepts of attachment and resilience should be regarded as complementary and that each is strengthened by such an approach. The cultural implications are discussed with particular reference to…

The purpose of this study is to assess personal and interpersonal predictors of college adjustment among a sample of 190 first-year Hispanic students. Specifically, we examined the extent to which personal factors such as self-esteem, acculturation, and ethnic identity and interpersonal factors such as parental education and parental attachment…

No self-report measure of attachment is well validated for middle-childhood. This study examined the validity and factor structure of the People in My Life (PIML) measure in 320 urban, fifth and sixth graders. Validity analyses consisted of correlational analyses between PIML subscales and the Child Behavior Checklist, Delinquency Rating Scale for…

Adolescents and young adults (three age groups: 12-15, 16-19, and 20-28 years) reported their use of parents, and peers to fulfill attachment functions (proximity-seeking, safe haven, and secure base.) The use of each target figure varied with age and attachment function. Mothers were an important source of security across this age range. They…

How can language and literacy enhance emotional development in the very young (birth to three years)? Although all children begin to understand their world through language and social interaction, literacy differs from culture to culture. It can range from oral stories of personal and cultural relevance to songs of ethnic pride and includes a…