In classical developmental theories, infancy and toddlerhood are viewed as the """"""""formative years"""""""", and children's characteristics and experiences in these early years are assumed to have significant early influences on later functioning. The objective of the present study is to identify specific conditions and characteristics of children at 2 and 3 years of age that predict to children's later functioning. Both forward analyses and follow- back analyses are done. The children are participants in the longitudinal study of offspring of affectively ill and well parents. The children and their families were evaluated first when the children were between 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 years of age, again between 5 to 6 years, and again between 8 to 9 years. Prediction analyses, to date, have dealt with the attachment relationship in relation to later psychosocial functioning of the child. Secure attachment to unipolar depressed mothers has a high chance of leading to affective problems and problems of relationships in middle childhood.
