This paper is a summary of a study concerned with identification of risk variables which affect the development of social and emotional behavior in young children. Families with pre-schoolers responded to a questionnaire designed to screen children who might be considered high risk. The screening results were validated with behavior observations of mother-child interactions. The high risk group and a control group participated in experiments on early differences in basic forms of information processing: characteristics of physiological arousal and attention, reaction time, discrimination learning, reinforcement preferences and avoidance behavior. Three functional risk categories are delineated: conduct disorder, personality disorder, and a combination of the two. The mother's behavior is also categorized. Although this model for prognosis of risk development will be revised, some interesting results emerged. The questionnaire results show more substantial correlations between the impulsivity-aggressivity dimension of the children and parent scales than between the passivity-anxiety and the parent scales. The observations show that the mothers of the Conduct Disorder risk group seldom initiate interaction with their children, and these children resist or ignore their mothers' demands significantly more often compared to the control group. (Author/DOW)