ABSTRACT

Maternal mind-mindedness, which examines mothers' representational capacity to treat their children as individuals with their own minds, has traditionally been operationalized by coding mothers' mental state comments to or about their children. Mind-mindedness has been studied predominantly in Western cultures, where it predicts children's social-cognitive developments. However, in many non-Western cultures, mothers do not readily talk about their children's mental states; they may use nonverbal behaviors to manifest their mind-mindedness. Nonverbal behaviors may also be the way mind-mindedness is conveyed to young infants. Theorists have been puzzled by the fact that mind-mindedness in mothers' speech prior to when infants understand language predicts infants' later social-cognitive developments. In this article, I call for mind-mindedness measures to include nonverbal behaviors. Such measures may reveal behaviors involved in communicating mind-mindedness to infants and provide an avenue to equitable investigations of mind-mindedness in diverse cultures, thus advancing the theory and scope of the field.

ABSTRACT

Understanding childhood socialization across multiple world cultures is important for developing comprehensive and generalizable theories of developmental psychology. Studies suggest that Latin American children show markedly high levels of prosocial behavior. In this article, we theorize that this hyper-prosociality is supported by a particular cluster of “other-oriented” values that are fundamental to Latin American culture—including the values of simpatía, respeto, acomedirse, familismo, and cariño. Based on our review of 60 papers describing studies with more than 12,000 participants, we discuss these values in adult caregivers and examine socialization processes that facilitate the intergenerational transfer of Latin American prosocial values from caregivers to children. The study of Latin American children yields new and important insights into cultural influences on prosocial behavior, while at the same time promoting inclusion and scientific generalizability. Social experiences, which vary by culture, undergird the development of human prosociality.

Child Development Perspectives, Volume 19, Issue 1, Page 1-2, March 2025.

ABSTRACT

Recent empirical investigations have concentrated primarily on studying imitation as a social tool that satisfies social motivations, while other potential reasons for and forms of imitation have attracted less attention. These investigations have also focused on studying the role of pedagogy in imitative learning and set up most experiments in a pedagogical framework. In this article, we present two gaps in studying high-fidelity imitation. First, social motivation may not be the only motivation, especially in less socially stratified communities. Second, imitative learning in observational contexts is understudied. We discuss these gaps by providing examples of alternative imitative learning scenarios and aspects that may have been overlooked and thus underexplored. Moving forward, cross-cultural investigations targeting other aspects and forms of imitative learning can provide insights into how observational and pedagogical learning together foster effective learning across diverse childhood ecologies.

ABSTRACT

Ageism against older adults has been well studied, yet adolescents also experience ageism in pervasive and harmful ways. In this article, we describe anti-youth ageism as a system of oppression that encompasses negative stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination against adolescents that uphold power hierarchies and marginalize young people based on their age. Drawing from interdisciplinary theory and research, we examine adolescents' experiences of anti-youth ageism at interpersonal, cultural, and institutional levels, and consider the ways anti-youth ageism is internalized. Across many levels, anti-youth ageism is understood in concert with other systems of oppression such as racism and cis-heterosexism. The field needs a new wave of anti-oppressive developmental science to understand the multilayered, intersectional manifestations of anti-youth ageism and the impacts of anti-youth ageism on various domains of development. Research can help foster the creation of intervention strategies to reduce harm to adolescents and their development.

ABSTRACT

Research on child development has been advanced by the contributions of human development and human development family science (or studies) departments, which trace their origins to the land grant movement, home economics programs, and the child study movement that coalesced in the United States in the late 19th and 20th centuries. In this article, we detail the main historical influences on the field, as well as contemporary strengths and opportunities for the field. We highlight the interdisciplinarity and applied work that are uniquely inherent strengths of human development and family science/studies. We also discuss challenges that are both historic and contemporary in reviewing how experiences of racial and gender discrimination affected and affect scholars in the field, as well as issues of field identity and purpose. Finally, we recommend that the field acknowledge and publicize its past to capitalize on the strengths of its history and to address historical challenges that remain relevant to the study of human development and family science today.

ABSTRACT

Cultural brokering refers to the process of youth (i.e., children, adolescents, and emerging adults) from immigrant families interpreting cultural norms for others. Cultural brokering is not an acontextual, individual, or passive experience but varies by context (e.g., situational demands), is interpersonal (e.g., involves the broker and a social partner), and involves the cultural broker serving as a socializing agent. While researchers have sought to understand how cultural brokering affects the broker (i.e., the individual interpreting for others), findings vary. In this article, we advance the understanding of cultural brokering across development by drawing attention to pertinent aspects of this experience that have been largely overlooked. First, we review distinct forms of cultural brokering. Next, we consider how cultural brokering affects the psychological adjustment and well-being of immigrant youth. Finally, we suggest research to deepen the understanding of cultural brokering across development.