ABSTRACT There is little prospective scientific research on the development of individual differences in positive orientations toward other people. This orientation can be conceptualized as predispositions along one dimension. At one end of the dimension, some individuals appear to have an enduring predisposition toward altruism, kindness, social warmth, and cooperativeness. At the other end, some individuals appear to be predisposed toward behaviors that have been labeled hostile, aggressive, and cold-hearted. An interlocking program of research will examine this individual difference dimension in children and adolescents. Socialization patterns may be systematically related to its development. This research will conduct basic foundational work upon which later work can build. The first part of the research program will focus on reliability and validity, using computer assessments to obtain self-ratings from children and adolescents. This evidence will be compared with adult and peer ratings of the same children for the convergence in assessments. In addition, an observational study will focus on parental socialization of emotional self- regulation. The research is designed to build basic links from personality toward developmental and social psychological approaches to social interaction.
