ABSTRACT
There are numerous investigations that examine the impact of parental behavior on child development. Most obvious are investigations that deal with the maltreatment of children (e.g., Azar, 1986; Belsky, 1978; Parke & Collmer, 1975). There is also the well-known work of Baumrind (1967, 1971), which distinguished among the impact of autocratic, authoritative-reciprocal, and permissive childrearing styles on the personality characteristics of children. More recently, there is a powerful literature developing that is related to Vygotsky’s (1978) general theoretical position and, in particular, to his concept of the “zone of proximal development” (divergence between existent level of development of the child and level reached in collaboration with another); this work has had a significant effect in understanding the role of the parent (and more competent peers) in the cognitive and affective development of the child (e.g., Bruner, 1983; Ignjatovic-Savic, Kovac-Cerovic, Plut, & Pesikan, 1988; Rogoff, 1982; Rogoff & Wertsch, 1984; Wertsch, 1984).
