Synopses & Reviews
Just as each person develops from infancy to adulthood, all interpersonal relationships have a life history that encompasses the changes in how people communicate with each other. This book is about how a relationship transforms itself from one pattern of communication to another. The authors present a unique research method called 'relational-historical research', based on advances in dynamic systems theory in developmental psychology, and qualitative methods in life history research. It rests on three premises: that the developing relationship (not the individual) is the unit of analysis; that change emerges from, but is not entirely constrained by, the patterns of the past; and that the developmental process is best revealed by making frequent observations within a particular case before, during, and after a key developmental transition. Looking specifically at the mother-infant relationship, this is a compelling piece of research that will appeal to an international audience of intellectuals and practitioners.
Synopsis
How a relationship transforms itself from one pattern of communication to another.
About the Author
Alan Fogel is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Utah. He is the author of Developing through Relationships (1993), Infancy, Family and Society, 4th Edition (2001) and co-editor, with Gavin Bremner, of Handbook of Infant Development (2001).Andréa P. Garvey is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology at the American River College.Hui-Chin Hsu is an Associate Professor at the Department of Child and Family Development at the University of Georgia.Delisa West-Stroming holds a Research Master's degree in Child Development and Family Studies from Purdue University. She is currently active in home schooling.
Table of Contents
Prologue: overview of the research problem and summary of findings; 1. Relationships as developing systems: theoretical foundations; 2. Mother-infant relationship development in the first six months: from face-to-face play to object play; 3. Relational-historical research on development change; 4. Relational-historical research: the case study approach, frame analysis, qualitative and quantitative analysis; 5. Research propositions about relationship change process; 6. Research methods for the current investigation: subjects, procedures, and data analysis; 7. Results of the current investigation: quantitative analysis of developmental changes in relationship frames and in infant actions; 8. Results of the current investigation: qualitative analysis of Richard and his mother; 9. Results of the current investigation: qualitative analysis of Betsy and her mother; 10. Results of the current investigation: qualitative analysis of Lewis and his mother; 11. Results of the current investigation: qualitative analysis of Susan and her mother; 12. Summary of finding on relational-historical change; Epilogue: laws of change, implications for theory and practice.