CHILD MENTAL HEALTH IN ALTERNATIVE FAMILY STYLES

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The proposed work will continue the longitudinal studies of 200 children and families who are being reared in a variety of family styles; single-parent families, unwed couple households, living groups, and as a comparison group, two-parent nuclear traditional families. Children have been assessed since birth, and currently are 6 years old. At this point, their cognitive, social and emotional development is being assessed through a battery of standardized and semi-standardized tests, and through a child interview. Variables of particular interest are intelligence level, linguistic competency, creativity, persistence, tolerance for frustration, freedom of fantasy, independence, social cognition competencies, and sex role identity. In addition, ratings on these and other personality characteristics are made on each child during a semi-structured play session by two independent clinical observers. Parents are also being assessed on intelligence and personality measures. In addition, a reassessment of their perspectives and values on dimensions which have been identified with the alternative philosophy is obtained. Depth interviews with each parent separately provide data on child-rearing practices and attitudes at this time when the child enters school. The analytic strategy will continue to be directed toward reducing the large body of discrete items to summary variables; and examining conceptually-relevant interrelationships between parent attitudinal socialization, and child outcome variables. Studies on behavioral and temporal consistencies and continuities in family behaviors and child development are also in progress.