ABSTRACT
Behavioral and social scientists have long considered the family material and social environment to be among the most important influences on one’s life during childhood and adolescence. An exhaustive body of research in several disciplines has demonstrated how important this environment is for social and cognitive development, educational attainment, and other outcomes. Developmental psychologists and developmental pediatricians, for example, have explored the role of the family in many aspects of social and cognitive development. The recent National Research Council report, Neurons to Neighborhoods, states that
The family constitutes perhaps the most critical environment among those encountered by children early in life.
