ABSTRACT
The dominant models of development of children's behavioral adjustment emphasize the likelihood of complex summations and interactions of various influences. Because of strong practical interests, theory and research have emphasized the quest for valid predictors of developmental outcomes, such as diagnostic status at a later age. One important kind of predictor is the parent-child relationship, including attachment security. Another is child temperament. Research has shown that these kinds of variables do predict variance in child outcome measures However, research has not yet established the specifics of how different factors interact. Current theories and empirical findings suggest theoretical and practical ways to understand some of the main threads in development of children's externalizing problems, including aggression and antisocial behavior (Coie & Dodge, 1998; Deater-Deckard, Dodge, Bates, & Pettit, 1998; Patterson, Reid, & Dishion, 1992; Yoshikawa, 1994), and perhaps also internalizing problems, including anxiety and depression (Rubin & Mills, 1991). However, there is a clear need for more description of the complexities of developmental process. In this chapter, we briefly consider predictor and outcome concepts and then focus on the interaction of predictors.
