Examines the construct of emotionality, developmental relations between cognition and emotion, and neural plasticity and frontal cortical functioning. Proposes a developmental neurobiological model of self-regulation skills development, noting implications for children's school readiness. Suggests direct links among emotionality, use-dependent…

This study describes the development of a self-report measure of functional humor in relationships. People were asked to report on their own and their partner's use of humor in the marriage. The Relational Humor Inventory proved to be a useful instrument for tapping important positive and negative relationship behaviors. (Contains 30 references, 4…

This article reviews empirical literature on psychological vulnerability to completed suicide. Five constructs have been consistently associated with completed suicide: impulsivity/aggression; depression; anxiety; hopelessness; and self-consciousness/social disengagement. Current knowledge of psychological vulnerability could inform social…

This editorial introduces a special section devoted to chronicling the responses of art therapists after the September 11th attacks. The section contains 10 articles from therapists in New York City, New Jersey, Long Island, Washington, DC, and California. Articles include stories of the reactions of the therapists as well as their work with…

Addresses three issues: (1) how children respond to the medical evaluation for sexual abuse; (2) how the trauma of the evaluation experienced by some children can be minimized and the benefits maximized; and (3) how children's responses to the medical evaluation for sexual abuse can be interpreted. (DB)

Examined friendships that are emotionally passionate yet lack sexual activity among 18- to 25-year-old sexual-minority women. Found that passionate friendships contained more characteristics of romantic friendships than conventional friendships. Same-sex passionate friendships were initiated at earlier ages than same-sex conventional friendships,…

Examined role of infant and toddler temperament in predicting 2-year olds' empathy. Found that children showed relatively more concern for mother's distress, but were also responsive to unfamiliar victims. Unreacting infants showing little affect also showed less empathy toward the unfamiliar adult almost two years later. Inhibition toward…

Fifty young children were interviewed concerning their experiences, expectations, and perceptions about starting school. Responses indicated strong focus on rules encountered in school and feelings about going to school. Conventional rules were mentioned most often, with moral and task rules negligible. Seventy-five percent of references to…

Evaluated gender differences in infant and maternal emotional expressivity and regulation with 6-month-old infants and their mothers, using Tronick's face-to-face still-face model. Found that maternal affect, matching, rate of change between matching and mismatching states, and synchrony in the play preceding the still face differentially mediated…

Examines self-handicapping and defensive pessimism, the factors that predict these strategies, and the associations between these strategies and a variety of academic outcomes. Findings reveal that task orientation negatively predicts both self-handicapping and defensive expectations and positively predicts reflectivity. Students high in…

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as a clinical technique may enhance treatment effectiveness when applied in couple therapy that is emotionally and experientially oriented. Clinical experience indicates EMDR-based interventions are useful for accessing and reprocessing intense emotions in couple interactions. EMDR can amplify…

Open communication and processing of primary attachment emotions are crucial when family systems change. Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) can be helpful by encouraging family members to express primary emotions. Expression then fosters renegotiation of bonds and clarification of attachment concerns. Case examples illustrate how EFT can be applied…

Investigated 4-month-olds' responsiveness to others' affective expressions in the context of a peekaboo game. Found differential patterns of visual attention and affective responsiveness to happiness/surprise, anger, fear, and sadness. Findings underscore importance of contextual information for facilitating recognition of emotion expressions and…

Introduces emotional geographies, which describe patterns of closeness and distance in human interactions that shape the emotions people experience about relationships to themselves, others, and the world around them. Using an interview-based study of elementary and secondary teachers, the paper describes five emotional geographies of…

The inadequate parenting associated with mothers' depression may be related to mothers' problems in interpreting infants' emotional expressions. The relations between depressed and well mothers' accuracy at interpreting babies' facial expressions and the quality of the mothers' interactions with their infants were examined. In partial support of…