Family Socialization and Developmental Competence Project, 1968-1980

The purpose of this research was to explore familial determinants of individual differences in children's and adolescents' competence and development. The study examined family socialization practices, parents' attitudes, and factors of development at three crucial stages in a child's life: pre-school, early childhood, and early adolescence. The sample consists of both parents and children in white middle-class families. Data were collected in three waves over 12 years. In 1968, 134 four-year old children and their parents were interviewed. In 1972, 104 children of the original cohort and their parents were interviewed again. A second cohort of 60 nine-year old children and their parents was introduced and also interviewed at this time. In 1978, 89 children of the original cohort and 50 children of the second cohort were interviewed. In all waves, at least one parent of each child was interviewed; in some cases two parents participated. Since Time 3, one phone contact was made with the participants who were then in their mid-twenties. These brief interviews are included in the study. The data were collected through questionnaires completed by the parents, personal interviews with parents and children, and videotaped observations of family interactions in the home. The family observations were coded for a project-designed family-stressor indicator, Q-sort items, Likert-type rating items, and other scales for behavior and personal attribute ratings. Measures for the parents included child-rearing patterns, child-rearing dimensions, and parents' personal attribute scales. Other instruments used with children included standardized tests of the child's intelligence, field independence, sex role attitudes and personality, and assessments of social attitudes, self-concepts, cognitive functioning, moral judgement and ethical attitudes, physical health and fitness, and nutritional status. The Murray Research Archive holds the original record paper data from this study. In addition the collection includes, a numeric data file, consisting of 76 cases and 35 new variables, based on coded home observation data generated in secondary analysis