This book, designed for advanced courses on parent-child relationships, examines scientific evidence concerning parents' effect on children's development. Chapter 1, "The Development of Child-Rearing Research: From Mere Beliefs to a More Dynamic Perspective," discusses the beginnings of and current trends in child rearing research and introduces a dynamic approach. Chapter 2, "Theories of Parent-Child Relationships," examines major theories such as ethology, attachment theory, social learning theories, and ecological systems theory and suggests directions for theoretical integration. Chapter 3, "Different Approaches Used in Studying Parent-Child Relationships," compares and evaluates six approaches to studying the parent-child relationship: trait, social learning, social address, momentary process, child effects, and parental beliefs. Chapter 4, "The Determinants of Parental Behavior," considers models of child rearing determinants, using ecological systems theory as an organizing framework. Chapter 5, "Associations between Parenting and Children's Outcomes," examines early and contemporary research on parental effects in five fundamental arenas: (1) attachment process; (2) social learning experiences; (3) interactional processes; (4) explicit teaching; and (5) quality of the child's environment. Chapter 6, "The Attributes of Effective Parents," identifies characteristics of effective parents in arenas of influence. Chapter 7, "When Parenting Goes Awry: Child Maltreatment," discusses the etiology of physical and sexual abuse, neglect, and psychological maltreatment. Chapter 8, "Contemporary Family Problems and Social Policy," discusses social conditions threatening children's development and presents social policy responses. Chapter 9, "Summary and Implications of a Dynamic View of Parents," reiterates the need for a dynamic perspective and identifies research implications. (Contains approximately 650 references.) (KDFB)