Theory And Research In Behavioral Pediatrics

This volume initiates a series devoted to theory and research in behavioral pedi atrics. Focusing attention on the limited scientific contributions to understanding the development of behavior will, we hope, stimulate further research in this vitally important area of human knowledge. The ability of an individual to achieve his or her full potential as an adult is to a significant degree determined by critical variables in this development within a given society. Study of this aspect of human biology, therefore, may have far-reaching effects on the evolving human species. An awareness of the complexity of the behavioral patterns in infancy is of relatively recent origin and is an obvious essential starting point for this series of publications. The need to discriminate between objective observations and theo retical constructs and to design scientifically valid experiments is vital to progress in understanding early infant behavior. It is easy to misinterpret apparent responses to interventions, especially in infants at biological risk. Preterm infants and their caretakers are particularly challenging as subjects but very difficult to assess scientifically. The interactions between mother and newborn and father and newborn hold promise of substantial additional insights into the development of behavior. Thus, this volume provides interesting perspectives into the relationship of the evolving immature neurological system to complex behavior patterns in newborn infants which raise many new questions and exciting opportunities to extend our very limited knowledge about the newborn infant's psychosocial, emo tional, and cognitive development. RICHARD E. BEHRMAN, M. D.

This volume posits two theories of behavioral pediatrics: that scientific and clinical study of organism--environment transactions requires investigators to alter recognize the importance of systemic models over mechanistic models; and that attention must be given to environmental contexts of development, and to the events in the environment that trigger and regulate the organization, development, and expression of human behavior.

Volume I of Theory and Research in Behavioral Pediatrics focused on issues of early human development, with special emphasis given to assessment of the preterm infant and to factors inftuencing the organization of the caregiver infant relationship. Chapters in Volume 2 cover a broader range of topics and encompass a wider age span. Chapter I provides a historical review of the relationship between developmental psychology and pediatrics. The authors, Barbara R. Tinsley and Ross D. Parke, discuss differences between behavioral pediatrics and pediatric psychology and note that interdiscipli nary collaboration in research and application has increased steadily in re cent years. However, if similar collaborative efforts are to occur in education and training of pediatricians and developmental psychologists, it will be necessary to determine just what each discipline hopes to gain from such collaborative efforts. Tinsley and Parke report the results of anational survey designed to determine the areas of developmental psychology that pediatricians perceive to be of potential benefit to them in their delivery of pediatric care. Results of the survey suggest that there are many ways in which developmental psychology could be in corpora ted into the pediatric curriculum. In many respects, Chapter 2 sets the stage for the remaining chapters. Nancy A. Carlson and Thomas Z.

This book examines three decades of research on behavioral inhibition (BI), addressing its underlying biological, psychological, and social markers of development and functioning. It offers a theory-to-practice overview of behavioral inhibition and explores its cognitive component as well as its relationship to shyness, anxiety, and social withdrawal. The volume traces the emergence of BI during infancy through its occurrences across childhood. In addition, the book details the biological basis of BI and explores ways in which it is amenable to environmental modeling. Its chapters explore the neural systems underlying developmental milestones, address lingering questions (e.g., limitations of studying BI in laboratory settings and debatable benefits of self-regulatory processes), and provide recommendations for future research. Key areas of coverage include: Animal models of behavioral inhibition. Social functioning and peer relationships in BI. Attention mechanisms in behavioral inhibition. BI and associative learning of fear. Behavioral inhibition and prevention of internalizing distress in early childhood. The relations between BI, cognitive control, and anxiety. Behavioral Inhibition is a must-have resource for researchers, clinicians, scientist-practitioners, and graduate students across such fields as developmental psychology, psychiatry, social work, cognitive and affective developmental neuroscience, child and school psychology, educational psychology, and pediatrics.

This second volume of Richard Jessor’s influential works applies his groundbreaking theory to illuminating the psychosocial determinants of adolescent health. Focusing on a range of both health-compromising and health-enhancing behaviors, including problem drinking, marijuana use, risky driving, and early sexual experience as well as regular exercise and healthy diet, these writings advance understanding of the role of health behavior in adolescence and adolescent development. Chapters illustrate the relevance of the theory and of its interdisciplinary approach for research on behavioral health in adolescence and for the design of prevention/intervention programs to promote healthy development. In addition, the book’s comparative studies of U.S. and Chinese youth reveal the generality of the theory across societal and national differences. Topics featured in this book include: Alcohol use and problem drinking in adolescent health and development. Psychosocial research on marijuana use. Understanding early initiation of sexual intercourse in adolescence. Smoking behavior in adolescence and young adulthood. Developmental change in risky driving. Healthy eating and regular exercise in adolescent health and development Problem Behavior Theory and Adolescent Health is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, clinicians, and related professionals as well as graduate students in developmental and health psychology, sociology, criminology, criminal justice, public health, and related disciplines.