Social and Emotional Development, a new four-volume collection from Psychology Press, brings together the most influential and fundamental research in the area, providing readers with a vital overview of the basic theory and the empirical database regarding social and emotional development. The collection editors present a general developmental picture of the state-of-the-art in each area of social and emotional development. They have also written integrative commentaries (appearing as an introduction at the start of each volume) to situate the collected research topics in their historical and intellectual context, and to provide a snapshot of current issues in the field. The collection is an ideal introduction to social and emotional development for advanced undergraduates and graduate students, and will serve as an important reference for instructors. Indeed, teachers who are planning courses intended for advanced undergraduates and graduate students will find these volumes to be an ideal way of providing a comprehensive and in-depth coverage of research on social and emotional development. The chronological organization of three of the four volumes will allow instructors to use all three or to choose the book that best fits the needs of their course. The models-and-methods volume can be used in a similarly flexible or focused manner. For anyone interested in social and emotional development, this new Major Work constitutes a 'mini library' on the history of, and current debates in, social and emotional development. Beyond its immediate relevance to those working in developmental psychology, the collection will be of interest to individuals from disciplines including: counselling and school psychology, human development, family studies, kinesiology, sport psychology, educational psychology, sociology, anthropology, criminal justice (especially the collected material on aggression), child psychiatry, social work, early childhood education, and public policy.

This book arises from a conference held in November 1996 designed to examine how competence can be improved in the different stages ofthe lifespan. To this end, we brought together eminent researchers in different areas of human development-infancy, childhood, and adulthood, including the late adult years. The conference was based on the premise that discussion arising from the interfaces of research and practice would increase our knowledge of and stimulate the further application of effective interventions designed to improve competence. The editors wish to acknowledge the contributions of Concordia University and the Fonds pour la Formation de Chercheurs et l'Aide a la Recherche (FCAR) in providing funding and other assistance toward the conference "Improving Competence Across the Lifespan" and toward the publication of this book. Finally, we wish to express our gratitude to the numerous students associated with our Centre for their help and to Gail Pitts and Lesley Husband of the Centre for Research in Human Development for their assistance. We are especially grateful to Donna Craven, Centre for Research in Human Development, for her heroic work on both the conference and the present volume. We could not have met our goals without you.

Friendship is one of life's most essential and rewarding forms of interaction. It is a feature of every culture and most persons interact with their friends on a daily basis. Thus far, most research on the subject of friendship has concentrated on peer acceptance, dyadic properties, and the contribution that friendship makes to development and adjustment. There has been little exploration of friendship's role in a child's social and emotional growth. The Company They Keep pioneers this area. This book provides a forum in which internationally recognized scholars active in the study of friendship present the major conceptual issues, themes, and findings from their research. The authors describe the theoretical and empirical context and the goals of their own research programs. They discuss current research and the methodological strategies adopted for studying friendship relations. A variety of topics is explored, including cultural variations in children's and adolescents' friendships, the association between friendship and cognitive and personality development, the effect of friendship on adjustment, and the links between experience within the family and relationships with friends. The authors also express their views on future directions for such research. This book will appeal to developmental psychologists, researchers, and students. It will also be a solid reference work for social psychologists, sociologists, and social workers concerned with interpersonal relationships.

Measurement burst designs, in which assessments of a set of constructs are made at two or more times in quick succession (e.g., within days), can be used as a novel method to improve the stability of basic measures typically used in longitudinal peer research. In this Element, we hypothesized that the stabilities for adolescent-reported peer acceptance, anxiety, and self-concept would be stronger when using the measurement burst approach versus the single time observation. Participants included youth between 10 and 13 years old who completed (a) sociometric assessments of acceptance, and measures of (b) social and test anxiety, and (c) self-concept across three times with two assessments made at each burst. Findings broadly showed that the stabilities were significantly stronger with the measurement burst when compared to the single time assessment, supporting our main hypothesis. We discuss the utility of the measurement burst in a broader context and considerations for researchers.

This book arises from a conference held in November 1996 designed to examine how competence can be improved in the different stages ofthe lifespan. To this end, we brought together eminent researchers in different areas of human development-infancy, childhood, and adulthood, including the late adult years. The conference was based on the premise that discussion arising from the interfaces of research and practice would increase our knowledge of and stimulate the further application of effective interventions designed to improve competence. The editors wish to acknowledge the contributions of Concordia University and the Fonds pour la Formation de Chercheurs et l'Aide a la Recherche (FCAR) in providing funding and other assistance toward the conference "Improving Competence Across the Lifespan" and toward the publication of this book. Finally, we wish to express our gratitude to the numerous students associated with our Centre for their help and to Gail Pitts and Lesley Husband of the Centre for Research in Human Development for their assistance. We are especially grateful to Donna Craven, Centre for Research in Human Development, for her heroic work on both the conference and the present volume. We could not have met our goals without you.

Friendship is one of life's most essential and rewarding forms of interaction--a feature of every culture that most persons experience daily. While most research efforts on friendship have concentrated on such issues as peer acceptance and dyadic properties, there has been little exploration of friendship's role in a child's social and emotional growth. The Company They Keep provides a forum in which a group of internationally recognized scholars presents the major conceptual issues, themes, goals, methodological strategies and findings from their research on friendship. Contributors explore a variety of topics, including cultural variations in childrens' and adolescents' friendships, the association between friendship and cognitive and personality development, the effect of friendship on adjustment, and the links between experience within the family and relationships with friends.

The definitive handbook on peer relations has now been significantly revised with 55% new material. Bringing together leading authorities, this volume presents cutting-edge research on the dynamics of peer interactions, their impact on multiple aspects of social development, and the causes and consequences of peer difficulties. From friendships and romance to social withdrawal, aggression, and victimization, all aspects of children's and adolescents' relationships are explored. The book examines how individual characteristics interact with family, group, and contextual factors across development to shape social behavior. The importance of peer relationships to emotional competence, psychological well-being, and achievement is analyzed, and peer-based interventions for those who are struggling are reviewed. Each chapter includes an introductory overview and addresses theoretical considerations, measures and methods, research findings and their implications, and future directions. New to This Edition *Chapters on neuroscience, social media, social inequality, prosocial behavior with peers, and sociological approaches. *Expanded coverage of applied issues: chapters on interventions for socially withdrawn children, activity programs that promote positive youth development, and policy initiatives. *Chapters on same- and other-sex peer relationships, peer influence, educational environments, evolutionary models, the self-concept, personality, and animal studies. *Increased attention to variations in peer relations due to culture, gender, and race. *Many new authors and topics reflect a decade's worth of theoretical and methodological advances, including the growing use of complex longitudinal methods.

*Authoritative reference, updated and expanded; 55% new material includes new topics, such as neuroscience, social media, social inequality, and novel interventions. *Cutting-edge coverage of perennial topics, including aggression, withdrawal, psychopathology, friendships, romance, and the influence of families and schools. *Interdisciplinary contributors include experts from developmental and clinical psychology, family studies, and sociology. *Competing titles are dated and less comprehensive.

Highly readable and comprehensive, this volume explores the significance of friendship for social, emotional, and cognitive development from early childhood through adolescence. The authors trace how friendships change as children age and what specific functions these relationships play in promoting adjustment and well-being. Compelling topics include the effects of individual differences on friendship quality, how friendship quality can be assessed, and ways in which certain friendships may promote negative outcomes. Examining what clinicians, educators, and parents can do to help children who struggle with making friends, the book reviews available interventions and identifies important directions for future work in the field.