Research into parent-child relationships is a diverse field of inquiry, attracting investigators from a variety of disciplines and subdisciplines. This book integrates and synthesizes the literature by focusing on issues concerning the parent. The text is organized around four key questions: What determines parental behavior? What are the effects of parenting on children? What makes some parents more effective than others? Why do some parents maltreat their children? George Holden adopts a dynamic rather than a static perspective on parenting. This dynamic approach reflects parents' capacity...