Family Influences On Childhood Behavior And Development

Download Family Influences On Childhood Behavior And Development full books in PDF, epub, and Kindle. Read online Family Influences On Childhood Behavior And Development ebook anywhere anytime directly on your device. Fast Download speed and no annoying ads. We cannot guarantee that every ebooks is available!

Family Influences on Childhood Behavior and Development

Author : Thomas P. Gullotta
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1135889856
Total Pages : 750 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (358 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Family Influences on Childhood Behavior and Development by : Thomas P. Gullotta

Download or read book Family Influences on Childhood Behavior and Development written by Thomas P. Gullotta and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2008-04-17 with total page 750 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Irrespective of theoretical orientation, families matter. Families are the entity in which children are introduced to words, objects, shapes, and colors. Families are the people related in a myriad of conventional and unconventional ways that clothe, bathe, and feed its biological and acquired offspring. Influenced by race, ethnicity, income, and education, families relate not only to each other within the unit but to others in the neighborhood, the community, and beyond. This book is about families and their children. This book is about those times when the family unit experiences distress. This distress may be found in the serious illness of a child or a parent. It may be the result of a reconfiguration of the family as in divorce and remarriage. Or it may involve the harming of a family member sexually or physically. In this volume, the authors explore what family means today, what functions it serves, and those circumstances that can make family life painful. Importantly, the authors provide readers with clearly written information drawn from the most recent scientific investigations suggesting how the topics in this volume might be addressed to either ease that discomfort (treatment) or prevent its occurrence.

Family Influences on Childhood Behavior and Development

Author : Thomas P. Gullotta
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1135889864
Total Pages : 361 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (358 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Family Influences on Childhood Behavior and Development by : Thomas P. Gullotta

Download or read book Family Influences on Childhood Behavior and Development written by Thomas P. Gullotta and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2008-04-17 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Irrespective of theoretical orientation, families matter. Families are the entity in which children are introduced to words, objects, shapes, and colors. Families are the people related in a myriad of conventional and unconventional ways that clothe, bathe, and feed its biological and acquired offspring. Influenced by race, ethnicity, income, and education, families relate not only to each other within the unit but to others in the neighborhood, the community, and beyond. This book is about families and their children. This book is about those times when the family unit experiences distress. This distress may be found in the serious illness of a child or a parent. It may be the result of a reconfiguration of the family as in divorce and remarriage. Or it may involve the harming of a family member sexually or physically. In this volume, the authors explore what family means today, what functions it serves, and those circumstances that can make family life painful. Importantly, the authors provide readers with clearly written information drawn from the most recent scientific investigations suggesting how the topics in this volume might be addressed to either ease that discomfort (treatment) or prevent its occurrence.

Parenting Matters

Author : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309388570
Total Pages : 525 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (93 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Parenting Matters by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book Parenting Matters written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2016-11-21 with total page 525 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.

Children's Influence on Family Dynamics

Author : Ann C. Crouter
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1135632812
Total Pages : 459 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (356 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Children's Influence on Family Dynamics by : Ann C. Crouter

Download or read book Children's Influence on Family Dynamics written by Ann C. Crouter and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2003-04-02 with total page 459 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Any parent who has raised more than one child is likely to be keenly aware of subtle or even striking differences among their offspring. The central premise of this volume is that children bring personal qualities to their relationships with other family members that help shape family interaction, relationships, and even processes that family researchers have called "parenting." The chapters address how children's personal qualities make their mark on families in ways that may in turn influence children's subsequent development. The volume is based on the presentations and discussions from a national symposium on "Children's influence on family dynamics: The neglected side of family relationships" held at the Pennsylvania State University, as the ninth in a series of annual interdisciplinary symposia focused on family issues. It is divided into four parts, each dealing with a different aspect of the topic. Part I sets the stage by focusing on the features of children that make a difference, as well as the kinds of research designs that are likely to shed light on the role of child influences. Part II focuses on early childhood, particularly the role of infant temperament and other individual differences in very young children in shaping their parents' behaviors, reactions in turn that feedback and influence the developing child. Part III focuses on adolescence, a time when young people are able to exert more choice in how they spend their time and who they spend it with. Part IV pulls the themes of the volume together and points the way for future research.

Handbook of Adolescent Behavioral Problems

Author : Thomas P. Gullotta
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 1489974970
Total Pages : 717 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (899 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Handbook of Adolescent Behavioral Problems by : Thomas P. Gullotta

Download or read book Handbook of Adolescent Behavioral Problems written by Thomas P. Gullotta and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-10-14 with total page 717 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Second Edition of the Handbook of Adolescent Behavioral Problems clarifies the current state of treatment and prevention through comprehensive examinations of mental disorders and dysfunctional behaviors as well as the varied forces affecting their development. New or revised chapters offer a basic framework for approaching mental health concerns in youth and provide the latest information on how conditions (e.g., bipolar disorder, suicidality, and OCD) and behaviors (e.g., sex offenses, gang activities, dating violence, and self-harm) manifest in adolescents. Each chapter offers diagnostic guidance, up-to-date findings on prevalence, biological/genetic aspects, risk and resilience factors, and a practical review of prevention and treatment methods. Best-practice recommendations clearly differentiate among what works, what might work, what doesn't work, and what needs further research across modalities, including pharmacotherapy. Key topics addressed include: Families and adolescent development. Adolescent mental health and the DSM-5. Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder. Autism spectrum disorder. Media and technology addiction. School failure versus school success. Bullying and cyberbullying. The Second Edition of the Handbook of Adolescent Behavior Problems is a must-have reference for researchers, clinicians, allied practitioners and professionals, and graduate students in school and clinical child psychology, education, pediatrics, psychiatry, social work, school counseling, and public health.

Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth

Author : Institute of Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309166608
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2004-10-18 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Children's health has clearly improved over the past several decades. Significant and positive gains have been made in lowering rates of infant mortality and morbidity from infectious diseases and accidental causes, improved access to health care, and reduction in the effects of environmental contaminants such as lead. Yet major questions still remain about how to assess the status of children's health, what factors should be monitored, and the appropriate measurement tools that should be used. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health provides a detailed examination of the information about children's health that is needed to help policy makers and program providers at the federal, state, and local levels. In order to improve children's health-and, thus, the health of future generations-it is critical to have data that can be used to assess both current conditions and possible future threats to children's health. This compelling book describes what is known about the health of children and what is needed to expand the knowledge. By strategically improving the health of children, we ensure healthier future generations to come.

Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8

Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309324882
Total Pages : 587 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (93 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 by : National Research Council

Download or read book Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2015-07-23 with total page 587 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.

The Limits of Family Influence

Author : David C. Rowe
Publisher : Guilford Press
ISBN 13 : 9780898621488
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (214 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Limits of Family Influence by : David C. Rowe

Download or read book The Limits of Family Influence written by David C. Rowe and published by Guilford Press. This book was released on 1994-01-01 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Challenging firmly established assumptions about the influence of child rearing on the development of children's personalities and intelligence, this book contends that there has been too heavy an emphasis on the family as the bearer of culture. It draws from behavior genetic research to reveal how environmental variables such as social class, parental warmth, and one- versus two-parent households may be empty of causal influence on child outcomes. The book examines the theoretical basis of socialization science and describes, in great detail, what behavior genetic studies can teach us about environmental influence.

Parenting and Child Development in Nontraditional Families

Author : Michael E. Lamb
Publisher : Psychology Press
ISBN 13 : 1135683018
Total Pages : 374 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (356 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Parenting and Child Development in Nontraditional Families by : Michael E. Lamb

Download or read book Parenting and Child Development in Nontraditional Families written by Michael E. Lamb and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 1998-10 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book goes beyond traditional families and traditional notions about their impact on child development to consider parallel issues with less-frequently-studied types of families. For developmentalists, family specialists, clinicians, and educators.

Handbook of Parenting and Child Development Across the Lifespan

Author : Matthew R. Sanders
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 331994598X
Total Pages : 849 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (199 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Handbook of Parenting and Child Development Across the Lifespan by : Matthew R. Sanders

Download or read book Handbook of Parenting and Child Development Across the Lifespan written by Matthew R. Sanders and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-12-06 with total page 849 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This handbook presents the latest theories and findings on parenting, from the evolving roles and tasks of childrearing to insights from neuroscience, prevention science, and genetics. Chapters explore the various processes through which parents influence the lives of their children, as well as the effects of parenting on specific areas of child development, such as language, communication, cognition, emotion, sibling and peer relationships, schooling, and health. Chapters also explore the determinants of parenting, including consideration of biological factors, parental self-regulation and mental health, cultural and religious factors, and stressful and complex social conditions such as poverty, work-related separation, and divorce. In addition, the handbook provides evidence supporting the implementation of parenting programs such as prevention/early intervention and treatments for established issues. The handbook addresses the complementary role of universal and targeted parenting programs, the economic benefits of investment in parenting programs, and concludes with future directions for research and practice. Topics featured in the Handbook include: · The role of fathers in supporting children’s development. · Developmental disabilities and their effect on parenting and child development. · Child characteristics and their reciprocal effects on parenting. · Long-distance parenting and its impact on families. · The shifting dynamic of parenting and adult-child relationships. · The effects of trauma, such as natural disasters, war exposure, and forced displacement on parenting. The Handbook of Parenting and Child Development Across the Lifespan is an essential reference for researchers, graduate students, clinicians, and therapists and professionals in clinical child and school psychology, social work, pediatrics, developmental psychology, family studies, child and adolescent psychiatry, and special education.

From Neurons to Neighborhoods

Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309069882
Total Pages : 610 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (9 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis From Neurons to Neighborhoods by : National Research Council

Download or read book From Neurons to Neighborhoods written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-11-13 with total page 610 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development-in the womb and in the first months and years-have reached the popular media. How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues. The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more. Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.

Family Investments in Children's Potential

Author : Ariel Kalil
Publisher : Psychology Press
ISBN 13 : 1135615241
Total Pages : 375 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (356 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Family Investments in Children's Potential by : Ariel Kalil

Download or read book Family Investments in Children's Potential written by Ariel Kalil and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2004-07-22 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The papers in this volume bring together a cross-disciplinary mix of researchers--developmental psychologists, evolutionary biologists, economists, anthropologists, and sociologists--working on the common theme of investments in children. The interdisciplinary conceptual framework adopted by this collection of papers is loosely built around the idea that there are two broad dimensions of parental investments. These include resources (e.g., income, wealth) on the one hand, and behaviors (e.g., parental instrumental support and parental activities that promote warmth, socialization, and cognitive stimulation) on the other. Believing that parental investments yield a "return" in improved child and young adult outcomes, the papers discuss how parents differ in terms of the resources they have available to invest, the choices parents make, the behaviors they engage in, and relevant policy and program interventions. More specifically, core questions addressed by the authors include: Why do some families invest while others do not and are differential investment patterns related to biology, economics, or social factors? What constitutes a successful "investment portfolio?" How are "investments" measured and/or characterized? Are different investments interchangeable, compensating, or off-setting? Given a set of resources, why are some families able to make more effective investments in child outcomes? How well do these investments affect outcomes for children and for these children as young adults? Can interventions or public policies help families build assets or become "better" investors in their children's potential? Developing a better understanding of what investments matter, when they matter, and how resources can be successfully invested in children's potential is key to shaping efficient interventions and social policies. Knowledge of how parents invest and what strategies are effective may help policies which seek to further empower and enable parental involvement and choice for their children.

Parenting and the Child's World

Author : John G. Borkowski
Publisher : Psychology Press
ISBN 13 : 1135648492
Total Pages : 439 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (356 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Parenting and the Child's World by : John G. Borkowski

Download or read book Parenting and the Child's World written by John G. Borkowski and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2001-10-01 with total page 439 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stimulated by the publication of The Nurture Assumption by Judith Rich Harris, Parenting and the Child's World was conceived around the notion that there are multiple sources of influence on children's development, including parenting behavior, family resources, genetic and other biological factors, as well as social influences from peers, teachers, and the community at large. The text's 39 contributors search for when, where, and how parenting matters and the major antecedents and moderators of effective parenting. The chapters focus on the major conceptual issues and empirical approaches that underlie our understanding of the importance of parenting for child development in academic, socio-emotional, and risk-taking domains. Additional goals are to show how culture and parenting are interwoven, to chart future research directions, and to help parents and professionals understand the implications of major research findings.

Working Families and Growing Kids

Author : Institute of Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 030916818X
Total Pages : 366 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Working Families and Growing Kids by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book Working Families and Growing Kids written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2003-05-15 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An informative mix of data and discussion, this book presents conclusions and recommendations for policies that can respond to the new conditions shaping America's working families. Among the family and work trends reviewed: Growing population of mothers with young children in the workforce. Increasing reliance of nonparental child care. Growing challenges of families on welfare. Increased understanding of child and adolescent development. Included in this comprehensive review of the research and data on family leave, child care, and income support issues are: the effects of early child care and school age child care on child development, the impacts of family work policies on child and adolescent well-being and family functioning, the impacts of family work policies on child and adolescent well-being and family functioning the changes to federal and state welfare policy, the emergence of a 24/7 economy, the utilization of paid family leave, and an examination of the ways parental employment affects children as they make their way through childhood and adolescence. The book also evaluates the support systems available to working families, including family and medical leave, child care options, and tax policies. The committee's conclusions and recommendations will be of interest to anyone concerned with issues affecting the working American family, especially policy makers, program administrators, social scientists, journalist, private and public sector leaders, and family advocates.

Social and Emotional Development in Infancy and Early Childhood

Author : Janette B. Benson
Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 : 0123785758
Total Pages : 571 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (237 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Social and Emotional Development in Infancy and Early Childhood by : Janette B. Benson

Download or read book Social and Emotional Development in Infancy and Early Childhood written by Janette B. Benson and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2010-05-21 with total page 571 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Research is increasingly showing the effects of family, school, and culture on the social, emotional and personality development of children. Much of this research concentrates on grade school and above, but the most profound effects may occur much earlier, in the 0-3 age range. This volume consists of focused articles from the authoritative Encyclopedia of Infant and Early Childhood Development that specifically address this topic and collates research in this area in a way that isn't readily available in the existent literature, covering such areas as adoption, attachment, birth order, effects of day care, discipline and compliance, divorce, emotion regulation, family influences, preschool, routines, separation anxiety, shyness, socialization, effects of television, etc. This one volume reference provides an essential, affordable reference for researchers, graduate students and clinicians interested in social psychology and personality, as well as those involved with cultural psychology and developmental psychology. Presents literature on influences of families, school, and culture in one source saving users time searching for relevant related topics in multiple places and literatures in order to fully understand any one area Focused content on age 0-3- save time searching for and wading through lit on full age range for developmentally relevant info Concise, understandable, and authoritative for immediate applicability in research

The Child and Its Family

Author : M. Lewis
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 1468434357
Total Pages : 408 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (684 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Child and Its Family by : M. Lewis

Download or read book The Child and Its Family written by M. Lewis and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How are we to understand the complex forces that shape human behavior? A variety of diverse perspectives, drawing upon studies of human behavioral ontogeny, as well as humanity's evolutionary heri tage, seem to provide the best likelihood of success. It is in the attempt to synthesize such potentially disparate approaches to human develop ment into an integrated whole that we undertake this series on the Genesis of Behavior. In many respects, the incredible burgeoning of research in child development over the last decade or two seems like a thousand lines of inquiry spreading outward in an incoherent starburst of effort. The need exists to provide, on an ongoing basis, an arena of discourse within which the threads of continuity between those diverse lines of research on human development can be woven into a fabric of meaning and understanding. Scientists, scholars, and those who attempt to translate their efforts into the practical realities of the care and guidance of infants and children are the audience that we seek to reach. Each requires the opportunity to see-to the degree that our knowledge in given areas permits-various aspects of development in a coherent, integrated fashion. It is hoped that this series, which will bring together research on infant biology, developing infant capacities, animal models, the impact of social, cultural, and familial forces on development, and the distorted products of such forces under certain circumstances, will serve these important social and scientific needs.

Families, Risk, and Competence

Author : Michael Lewis
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317778812
Total Pages : 399 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (177 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Families, Risk, and Competence by : Michael Lewis

Download or read book Families, Risk, and Competence written by Michael Lewis and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-04-04 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The problems of studying families arise from the difficulty in studying systems where there are multiple elements interacting with each other and with the child. How should this system be described? Still other problems relate to indirect effects; namely the influence of a particular dyad's interaction on the child when the child is not a member of the dyad. While all agree that the mother-father relationship has important bearing on the child's development, exactly how to study this--especially using observational techniques--remains a problem. While progress in studying the family has been slow, there is no question that an increase in interest in the family systems, as opposed to the mother-child relationship, is taking place. This has resulted in an increase in research on families and their effects. This volume, by leading figures in child development on families, attests to the growing sophistication of the conceptualization and measurement techniques for getting at family processes. The third in a series that aims to address topics relevant to the developmental problems and developmental disabilities of retardation, this volume is divided into two parts. Section 1 presents basic family processes and approaches for describing family dynamics. It deals with these issues from a broad perspective, including studying families at dinner, families in different cultural contexts, and the understanding of family in nonhuman primates. Section 2 looks at family processes in the service of studying families at-risk. The risk factors include poverty, malnutrition, and developmental delay and retardation. The study of family processes in these contexts provides data on family dynamics as well as how these dynamics impact on the children's developing competence. This volume will be informative for researchers, clinicians, and educators from a variety of disciplines and settings. The editors' aim is to bring a greater clarity to issues concerning the family life of children and highlight new research and possibilities for intervention.