Abstract
The first part of this article defines the self's conception and development from an organizational perspective. Emphasis is directed to the interplay of biological, caregiving, cognitive, and ecological-environmental factors. Following, discussion turns to a series of studies with children who have Down syndrome to show the effects of biologically based risk factors on early self-development. Then using samples of maltreated children, data are used to reveal the perturbations in self development that arise from problems with attachment relationships and caregiving environments. The concluding section suggests how understanding the self's early development provides insight about maladaptive behavior and psychopathology in self as a consequence of risk. In turn, investigations of high-risk conditions inform us about self and its normal development. Both approaches open up vistas for long-term studies of early self-development.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 271-287 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | Developmental Review |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 1991 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:I acknowledge the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Network on Early Childhood, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Center on Chtld Abuse and Neglect, the Spencer Foundation. and the Spunk Fund, Inc., for their support of this work. Please address reprint requests to the author at 187 Edinburgh Street, Mt. Hope Family Center, Kochester, NY 14608.
Copyright:
Copyright 2014 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
