Showing papers by "Jeanne Brooks-Gunn published in 1984"

Maternal Responsivity in Interactions with Handicapped Infants.

Abstract: The present study investigated the influence of 3 infant characteristics on mothers' interactions with their handicapped young children. These 3 characteristics are chronological age, mental age, and handicapping condition. Maternal responsivity was hypothesized to increase with mental and chronological age and to be more closely linked to mental than chronological age. In addition, it was expected that handicapped group membership would be related to maternal behavior, but that many of these effects would be accounted for by mental age. 111 handicapped young children and their mothers were observed in a 15-min free-play session. The children ranged in age from 3 to 36 months of age and were classified as Down's syndrome (N = 56), developmentally delayed (N = 21), or cerebral palsied (N = 34). Maternal responsivity to their infants' behavior was explored for total behavior and for proximal and distal behaviors separately using proportion scores to control for overall levels of infant and maternal behavior exhibited. Infants but not mothers emitted more behavior in the free-play setting as the infants' mental and chronological age increased. As expected, mothers were more responsive proportionately to their infants' behavior as their children became more mature mentally and chronologically older, even after controlling for age-related increases in infant behavior. Since mental and chronological age were related, partial correlational analyses were performed. The age-related increases in maternal responsivity were accounted for by mental but not chronological age. Differences as a function of handicapped group membership also were found. Cerebral palsied infants exhibited less behavior than did the Down's syndrome and developmentally delayed infants. Mothers of developmentally delayed infants exhibited more responsive behavior proportionately than did mothers of the other 2 groups. However, this difference was due to the higher mental age of the infants.

The Psychological Significance of Different Pubertal Events to Young Girls

Abstract: The psychological significance of puberty to the adolescent girl is discussed in terms of the organism's ability to adapt to change. The occurrence of pubertal events is believed by many to signal a change in self-identity or a need for such a change, given that social role changes co-occur with physical changes. In this paper, four issues related to this premise are discussed-whether or not pubertal events elicit a great deal of stress and anxiety or more variable response patterns; whether they have short-term and/or long-term impact upon the adolescent; whether pubertal changes result in different information being transmitted; and whether rapid change results in heightened sensitivity to contextual cues. Literature on menarche is used to illustrate the usefulness of asking these questions. Then, the psychological significance of other, less frequently studied, pubetal events is discussed. Data are presented on girls' reactions to breast development, particularly in terms of their responses to being te...

Problems in studying and defining pubertal events.

Abstract: Problems in studying and defining pubertal events during early adolescence are examined in this paper. Whether puberty is best characterized as a social construction or as a physical event and whether early adolescence is best considered a transitional or distinct life period are discussed. Then, the markers or life events associated with puberty and possible boundaries of early adolescence are considered. Finally, possible models for studying pubertal change are discussed, focusing on timing of events, mediated effects, biobehavioral interaction, and cumulative risk models.Puberty: The time of life in which the two sexes begin first to be acquainted.- Samuel JOhnson.

Life Events and the Boundaries of Midlife for Women

Abstract: The difficulty of studying midlife in women is illustrated dramatically by the above statement. Midlife typically is characterized as a transitory rather than as a distinct phase of the life cycle. As a phase defined primarily by the end of youth, it is accorded little importance in developmental conceptualizations, in literature, or in the media. Midlife also is defined as the time to prepare for old age and death, the time when one begins to count forward rather than backward (in terms of years to live rather than years lived). This view is reflected in research methodologies that relate behavior in midlife to outcomes in old age. Midlife adjustment, sexuality, satisfaction, and health are considered possible predictors of adjustment to old age but are rarely considered outcomes of earlier behavior (see, as a notable exception, the Berkeley and Oakland growth studies; Eichorn, Clausen, Haan, Honzik, and Mussen, 1981).

Age and handicapped group differences in infants' visual attention.

Abstract: 102 handicapped children who ranged in age from 3 to 36 months and who were classified as Down's syndrome, cerebral palsied, developmentally delayed, or multiply handicapped were given a visual attention task. Subjects were presented 6 repeated trials of nonsocial stimuli followed by a seventh novel trial (20-sec trials, 20-sec intertrial intervals). Habituation to the repeated stimulus was assessed by examining fixation trends across the 6 trials. Differences in habituation as a function of chronological age, mental age, and handicapped group membership were examined. Over the entire sample, linear trends were found, as looking time decreased over trials. An age effect was found as the 3-7-month-olds did not exhibit a decrease in fixation over the 6 trials, while the older infants did exhibit response decrement. Parallel mental age differences in response decrement were found. No differences in fixation patterns were found for the 4 handicapped groups. Cluster analyses revealed 3 distinct fixation patterns over the 6 redundant trials, which were characterized by (1) high initial fixation and response decrement, (2) low initial fixation and no response decrement, and (3) moderate initial fixation and monotonic decrease in fixation over trials. Individual differences in cluster membership were found as a function of chronological and mental age but not handicapped group membership.

Social Development in Childhood

Abstract: From the moment of birth, a child is enmeshed in a social milieu, a network that, ideally, will offer security, love, and intimacy but will also require the acquisition and maintenance of an entire repertoire of social behaviors deemed appropriate by a particular group or culture Social development encompasses the task of growing up within a social system such that one is able to behave in that system’s socially accepted ways (Lewis, 1982) Traditionally, the study of social systems has fallen under the purview of anthropologists or sociologists, the study of interpersonal relationships has been a major focus of clinicians, and the study of social behaviors (eg, aggression, empathy) has captured the attention of social and developmental psychologists The past few years have heralded the emergence of interpersonal relationships and social knowledge as relevant topics of inquiry for developmentalists of all persuasions (cf Hinde, 1974; Lewis & Brooks-Gunn, 1979; Youniss, 1980)