Parent-Child Interaction: Theory, Research, and Prospects is intended (a) to provide a synthesis of a segment of this growing body of literature on interrelationships between children and their parents; (b) to examine the theoretical implications of this research; (c) to review and assess common methodological approaches to the study of home environmental influences on the development of children; and (d) to identify directions future research must take if our understanding of family influences and their place in a broader sociocultural context is to be extended. The book is organized into three parts. Part I examines theory and research on major aspects of parent-child influence processes. Part II examines the methods employed in research on family environments and considers the unique features that distinguish research on home environmental influences from traditional educational research. Part III provides different perspectives on the application of psychological knowledge to socialization processes. This book is intended for educational and developmental psychologists with interests in socialization processes as well as for practitioners who design parental programs that minimize discontinuities between competing socialization influences. This volume will also prove useful in graduate courses in educational, developmental, and community psychology; as a reference for professionals involved in school psychology, school administration, and pupil personnel work; and for psychologists and social workers involved in youth service agencies, child guidance, diagnostic clinics, parent education, and family therapy.