Children's Influence on Family Dynamics: The Neglected Side of Family Relationships (Penn State University Family Issues Symposia Series)

Any parent who has raised more than one child is likely to be keenly aware of subtle or even striking differences among their offspring. The central premise of this volume is that children bring personal qualities to their relationships with other family members that help shape family interaction, relationships, and even processes that family researchers have called ''parenting.'' The chapters address how children's personal qualities make their mark on families in ways that may in turn influence children's subsequent development. The volume is based on the presentations and discussions from a national symposium on ''Children's influence on family dynamics: The neglected side of family relationships'' held at the Pennsylvania State University, as the ninth in a series of annual interdisciplinary symposia focused on family issues. It is divided into four parts, each dealing with a different aspect of the topic. Part I sets the stage by focusing on the features of children that make a difference, as well as the kinds of research designs that are likely to shed light on the role of child influences. Part II focuses on early childhood, particularly the role of infant temperament and other individual differences in very young children in shaping their parents' behaviors, reactions in turn that feedback and influence the developing child. Part III focuses on adolescence, a time when young people are able to exert more choice in how they spend their time and who they spend it with. Part IV pulls the themes of the volume together and points the way for future research. Pt. 1. What Features Of Children Shape Family Relationships And How? Child Effects On Family Systems : Behavioral Genetic Strategies / David Reiss -- On The Meaning Of Models : A Signal Amidst The Noise / Kathleen Mccartney -- Are We Finally Ready To Move Beyond Nature Vs. Nurture? / Xiaojia Ge, M. Brent Donnellan, And Lawrence Harper -- How To Spin Straw Into Gold / J. Richard Udry -- Pt. 2. What Role Does Infant And Early Childhood Temperament Play In The Development Of Relationship With Parents? Infant Negative Emotionality, Caregiving, And Family Relationships / Susan Crockenberg And Esther Leerkes -- Child Effects On The Family : An Example Of The Extreme Case And A Question Of Methodology / Cynthia A. Stifter -- Sensitivity To Infants' Cues : As Much A Mandate For Researchers As For Parents / James P. Mchale, Kathryn C. Kavanaugh, And Julia M. Berkman -- The Developmental Course From Child Effects To Child Effectiveness / Pamela M. Cole --^ Pt. 3. What Roles Do Adoloscents Play In Actively Shaping Relationships With Parents, Siblings, And Peers? Parenting Of Adolescents : Action Or Reaction? / Margaret Kerr And Håkan Stattin -- On The Brink : Stability And Change In Parent-child Relations In Adolescence / Elizabeth G. Menaghan -- Parental Monitoring : Action And Reaction / Gene H. Brody -- Parental Monitoring : A Person-environment Interaction Perspective On This Key Parenting Skill / Deborah M. Capaldi -- Straw Men, Untested Assumptions, And Bi-directional Models : A Response To Capaldi And Brody / Margaret Kerr And Håkan Stattin -- Pt. 4. How Do Children Affect Parents' Marriage And Other Family Relationships? The Gender Of Child And Parent As Factors In Family Dynamics / Eleanor E. Maccoby -- How Do Children Exert An Impact On Family Life? / Susan M. Mchale And Ann C. Crouter -- Eleanor E. Maccoby On The Active Child : Gender Differences And Family Interactions / Håkan Stattin And Margaret Kerr --^ Reply To Stattin-kerr Critique / Eleanor E. Maccoby -- A Gender-balanced Approach To The Study Of Childhood Aggression And Reciprocal Family Influences / Nicki R. Crick -- Child Effects As Family Process / Lilly Shanahan And Juliana M. Sobolewski. Edited By Ann C. Crouter, Alan Booth. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. pt. 1. What features of children shape family relationships and how? Child effects on family systems : behavioral genetic strategies / David Reiss On the meaning of models : a signal amidst the noise / Kathleen McCartney Are we finally ready to move beyond "nature vs. nurture"? / Xiaojia Ge, M. Brent Donnellan, and Lawrence Harper How to spin straw into gold / J. Richard Udry pt. 2. What role does infant and early childhood temperament play in the development of relationship with parents? Infant negative emotionality, caregiving, and family relationships / Susan Crockenberg and Esther Leerkes Child effects on the family : an example of the extreme case and a question of methodology / Cynthia A. Stifter Sensitivity to infants' cues : as much a mandate for researchers as for parents / James P. McHale, Kathryn C. Kavanaugh, and Julia M. Berkman The developmental course from child effects to child effectiveness / Pamela M. Cole pt. 3. What roles do adolescents play in actively shaping relationships with parents, siblings, and peers? Parenting of adolescents : action or reaction? / Margaret Kerr and Håkan Stattin On the brink : stability and change in parent-child relations in adolescence / Elizabeth G. Menaghan Parental monitoring : action and reaction / Gene H. Brody Parental monitoring : a person-environment interaction perspective on this key parenting skill / Deborah M. Capaldi Straw men, untested assumptions, and bi-directional models : a response to Capaldi and Brody / Margaret Kerr and Håkan Stattin pt. 4. How do children affect parents' marriage and other family relationships? The gender of child and parent as factors in family dynamics / Eleanor E. Maccoby How do children exert an impact on family life? / Susan M. McHale and Ann C. Crouter Eleanor E. Maccoby on the active child : gender differences and family interactions / Håkan Stattin and Margaret Kerr Reply to Stattin-Kerr critique / Eleanor E. Maccoby A gender-balanced approach to the study of childhood aggression and reciprocal family influences / Nicki R. Crick Child effects as family process / Lilly Shanahan and Juliana M. Sobolewski. @Team LiB......Page 0 Contents......Page 6 Preface......Page 10 I What Features of Children Shape Family Relationships and How?......Page 12 1 Child Effects on Family Systems: Behavioral Genetic Strategies......Page 14 2 On the Meaning of Models: A Signal Amidst the Noise......Page 38 3 Are We Finally Ready to Move Beyond “Nature vs. Nurture”?......Page 48 4 How to Spin Straw Into Gold......Page 60 II What Role Does Infant and Early Childhood Temperament Play in the Development of Relationship With Parents?......Page 66 5 Infant Negative Emotionality, Caregiving, and Family Relationships......Page 68 6 Child Effects on the Family: An Example of the Extreme Case and a Question of Methodology......Page 90 7 Sensitivity to Infants’ Cues: As Much a Mandate for Researchers as for Parents......Page 102 8 The Developmental Course From Child Effects to Child Effectiveness......Page 120 III What Roles Do Adolescents Play in Actively Shaping Relationships With Parents, Siblings, and Peers?......Page 130 9 Parenting of Adolescents: Action or Reaction?......Page 132 10 On the Brink: Stability and Change in Parent-Child Relations in Adolescence......Page 164 11 Parental Monitoring: Action and Reaction......Page 174 12 Parental Monitoring: A Person-Environment Interaction Perspective on This Key Parenting Skill......Page 182 13 Straw Men, Untested Assumptions, and Bi-directional Models: A Response to Capaldi and Brody......Page 192 IV How Do Children Affect Parents’ Marriage and Other Family Relationships?......Page 200 14 The Gender of Child and Parent as Factors in Family Dynamics......Page 202 15 How Do Children Exert an Impact on Family Life?......Page 218 16 Eleanor E. Maccoby on the Active Child: Gender Differences and Family Interactions......Page 232 17 Reply to Stattin-Kerr Critique......Page 238 18 A Gender-Balanced Approach to the Study of Childhood Aggression and Reciprocal Family Influences......Page 240 19 Child Effects as Family Process......Page 248 Author Index......Page 264 Subject Index......Page 274