Evaluated the psychometric utility of a home literacy environment measure. Examined the measure's accuracy in predicting unique variance in children's performance on academic achievement measures after accounting for other important sources of variance, such as IQ and maternal education. Claims that this measure is psychometrically strong and…

Describes a parent-focused, home-based early intervention program known as HIPPY, the Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters. Explains the program's basic philosophy and elaborates on programmatic tensions as it gains a national scope and presence. Offers an insider's view into a few inherent tensions and issues associated with home…

This study examined the developmental variations in adolescent close relationships with family members, friends, and romantic partners. Within the context of social exchange theory, the study shows how interdependence and closeness shift from parents to peers and romantic partners, with patterns that differ somewhat for adolescents with and…

Presents a conceptual and empirical framework for examining the developmental changes that romantic relationships undergo over the course of adolescence. Describes several empirical studies that have examined age differences and delineates an agenda for subsequent developmental work. (JPB)

Examined adolescent intimacy in close friendships and romantic relationships from a systemic perspective. Found qualitative sex-related differences in how partners balance closeness and individuality in the two types of close friendships. Development of an intimate romantic relationship was also found to require greater commitment for males than…

Examined the developmental changes in romantic relationships of both healthy and diabetic adolescents. Found that, whereas healthy adolescents were increasingly able to balance both intimacy and conflict in their relationships with romantic partners, diabetic adolescents were unable to experience both positive and negative romantic qualities.…

Presents evidence that differences among adolescents' behavior in romantic relationships are imbedded in both earlier and concurrent relationship experiences that foster a capacity for intimacy. Summarizes a 20-year longitudinal study based on this view, with particular attention to links between relationships with parents and interactions with…

Examines same-gender and cross-gender friendships as potential contexts for development of preferences and skills that may influence the quality of adolescent dating relationships and adult marriages. Considers how children's traditionally gender-segregated peer relationships contribute to miscommunications and power asymmetries in later…

Discusses conceptual issues involved in comprehensive understanding of processes and development of adolescent romantic relationships. Explores (1) the possible common features that regulate relationships; (2) the interplay between romantic relationships and other significant relationships in adolescence and the ways these relationships change…

Cites research on smiling and laughter to illustrate a dynamic systems approach to emotion communication. Maintains that emotion is relational and not individual; the nonreflexive aspects of emotion involve the connection between a person and a context taken as a whole. Presents findings regarding social processes involved in smiling and laughter…

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…

Presents a model for understanding children's formation of schemas of self, other, and how self and other do and should communicate emotion. Attributes important roles to families' tendencies to display or not display emotion and to their rules regarding desirability and importance of communicating emotion. Notes that child characteristics and…

Presents a functionalist perspective on emotion communication and its role in the development of shame and guilt. Emotion communication influences relationship-building between parent and child; gives significance to standards, rules, and achievement; and serves as a channel of communication between parent and child regarding standards, rules, and…

A cross-national study examined what Japanese, Chinese, and American infants communicated to naive observers in various contexts when facial information was not available. Found that cultural differences were manifested primarily in deviations from expected responses to situations; Chinese and Japanese were not rated as more surprised in the…

Uses results of laboratory and natural language analyses of 2- to 4-year olds' explanations of human behavior to argue for a theory-type view of biological, psychological, and physical domains of thought. Concludes that children as young as 2 years show three different reasoning systems in their explanations of everyday phenomena, especially human…