This paper assesses certain aspects of current socialization theory, arguing that there are two major developments in the field of psychology as a whole which need to be more fully assimilated in the work on socialization. The first is the attack on trait theory, and it is argued that socialization research can survive this attack only if it becomes more concerned with structural developmental change in its dependent variables. Second, the impact of the "cognitive revolution" is assessed, and the paper argues that more attention must be given to the ways in which children process inputs from socialization agents, and developmental changes in processing capacities. Finally, it is urged that research attention must be focused on the conditions which sustain the effective performance of socialization agents. (Author)