Social Development Across the Lifespan in Diverse Cultures and Ecologies

Lamb, M

Abstract

This project involves a number of studies carried out in a variety of different cultures. The overall objective is to explore the ways in which developmental environments can be described by variations in physical and social ecologies, especially in terms of parental beliefs, values, and practices, and to assess how differences in these domains affect children's development. In one study, researchers are attempting to assess specific maternal and child attributions about one another in order to identify the extent to which attributions or expectations shape the way that parents and children interact, with particular focus on the development of aggressive behavior. Mothers and sons interact more aggressively when they have negative attributions of one another; recent analyses suggest that maternal and filial attributions also affect future aggressive behavior. In a second study, Palestinian mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers are being interviewed about their perceptions, values, expectations, responsibilities, and practices. The goal is to explore transgenerational changes in childrearing practices and beliefs in a culture exposed to tremendous exogenous influence, especially over the last half century. In a third study, gender differences in the self-perceptions of young adolescents are being assessed so that staff can explore the antecedents and correlates of different styles of self-perception.