This paper summarizes the proceedings of a 1999 symposium on mental health in infants and toddlers, particularly the role of attachment, held at the University of Minnesota. Presentations by Kathryn Barnard of the University of Washington and Anne Gearity of the University of Minnesota are included. Following an introduction and conference…

Reviews studies of infant behavior and development. Delineates a behavioral hypothesis relating prenatal and neonatal risk factors in infancy to crib death. The mutual dependence of experience and neurostructural development suggests that infancy is a period of critical learning experiences. (Author/RH)

Discusses the role of marital conflict as a mediator of parental drinking problems, and the emotional regulation and adjustment of children living in a family with an alcoholic parent. Proposes an emotional security hypothesis to explain the relationships, wherein hostile emotion communication may undermine children's sense of security, and as a…

Examines the relationship between attachment strategies and symptom reporting among college women (N=61). The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was administered and interview transcripts were rated with the Attachment Interview Q-Sort. Findings support the hypothesis that secondary or defensive attachment strategies predispose individuals toward…

Examined linkages between child disruptive behavior disorder, quality of mother-child interactions, and mothers' recollections/attitudes toward their parents. Preschool boys (N=25) referred to a psychiatric clinic were matched with normally functioning boys. Mothers and sons were videotaped during a separation-reunion sequence, the Adult…

Followed from infancy to age 7 internationally adopted children placed before 6 months. Found that girls were better adjusted than boys, except in cognitive development, and that easy temperament related to higher levels of social, cognitive, and personality development and fewer behavior problems. Attachment security and maternal sensitivity…

Considers evidence for continuity and discontinuity of attachment in four major longitudinal studies. Discusses the difficulty of constructing a critical test of the prototype and stable environment hypotheses for attachment continuity. Notes that intergenerational transmission of attachment has been only indirectly addressed. (KDFB)

Studied adolescent personal and interpersonal characteristics, including social competence and thoughts on friendship and romantic interests during a camp reunion. Found that concurrent interest in relationships is a stronger predictor of social competence for participants with anxious histories, although participants with secure histories were…

Discussed are principles of nonverbal therapy for deaf children with disorders in the development of self, and the possible existence of a relationship between lack of auditory experiences in deaf children and disorders in mother-child bonding. A case study presents a three-year-old deaf boy successfully treated through a nonverbal…

Examined utility of the Attachment Q-set (AQS) instrument for cross-cultural comparisons of mother-child interactions. Found that interpretations concerning the structure of attachment and other social domains made on the basis of Q-sort descriptions of middle-class English-speaking U.S. children need not be substantially modified when…

Behaviors and attitudes established early in life greatly affect friendships, parent-child relationships, and other personal contacts as children grow and develop into adults. Parents and other adults need to recognize and nurture the development of characteristics in children that can lead to intimacy, and to become aware of factors that induce…

Investigated homesickness in boys ages 8 through 16. Results indicated that homesickness was prevalent and varied in intensity, was experienced as a combination of depression and anxiety, was presented most often as internalizing behavior, and was more typical for younger boys. The most-homesick became increasingly so during the separation,…

Examines some of the basic issues involved in creating a warm and safe day-care environment for infants and toddlers, one that supports and promotes development and learning. Describing policies that were generated from everyday classroom experience, discusses the issues of security and trust, separation anxiety, group size, exploration and…

Reviews literature on attachment theory and career development, especially studies that have examined the contribution of attachment theory to ego identity formation, preimplementation career behavior, and postimplementation career adjustment. Advances four propositions to guide subsequent empirical and theoretical efforts in this area. Presents…

Preschool children's security of attachment was assessed in the laboratory, and their interactions with peers were observed in the preschool. Insecure boys showed more aggressive, disruptive, assertive, and controlling behavior than secure children. Insecure girls showed more dependent and compliant behavior, and less assertive and controlling…