This study was designed to investigate aspects of childhood social functioning in early interaction and socialization patterns of normal families. Sixteen families with a child between 1 and 3 years of age, and a second child born when the study began, were observed over a 2-year period. Intelligence tests were administered to both children when the second child was 5 and 7 years old. Verbal intelligence scores were taken as an estimate of the quality of social skills and adaptation at preschool age. Videotaped interactions were divided into about 1100 episodes for each family, and were coded according to categories of formal interactional and content-related aspects of family socialization. Three items of data were selected for detailed presentation: "situation control,""transmission of rules," and "affirmation of position." Findings indicated that: (1) time-specific changes in dyadic socialization patterns occur after the arrival of a new child and expand over a 2-year period; (2) socialization activities within families vary according to intensity and time-specificity; and (3) families vary according to mothers' and fathers' coordination and cooperation in socialization activities. Discussion considers conceptual and methodological implications for the detection and isolation of family-specific precursors of pathological personality development. (RH)