This application seeks continuation of a multi-method longitudinal study of parenting and child development in alcoholic and control families. The original application focused on the socioemotional and cognitive development of infants at 12, 18, and 24 months of age. In a supplemental application, we initiated a 36-month follow-up to examine developmental issues of relevance to children of alcoholics emerging over 2-3 years of age (i.e. self-regulation, internalization). In this application, we propose to complete the 36-month assessments and to conduct assessments when the child enters kindergarten (5-6 year follow-up) to examine the role of paternal alcohol problems on the development of social competence. The protocol involves screening families with 12-month-old infants and identifying three groups: alcoholic father, alcoholic father/heavy drinking mother, and control families. At each age, parent-child interactions are conducted and parents complete questionnaires of risk and protective factors suggested by models of parenting (Belsky), 1984) and child development (Snyder & Huntly, 1990). At the 5-6 year follow-up, families will visit the Institute three times, with the first visit focused on mother-child observations (interactions, compliance, internalization), the second on the cognitive assessment (WPPSI-R), and the third on father-child observations. We will also conduct in-school observations of the child's behavior to assess school conduct and peer interactions. Analyses will examine the following hypotheses: 1) paternal alcoholism impedes the attainment of critical developmental milestones and this has implications for further development; 2) alcoholism's impact will be mediated through its impact of socio-contextual factors, temperament, and most importantly, parenting behavior; and 3) the deleterious impact of paternal alcoholism will be attenuated by positive mother-infant behaviors.
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