Peter K. Smith is Professor of Psychology and Head of the Unit for School and Family Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is co-author of the leading textbook Understanding Children's Development (Fifth Edition, Wiley, 2010), the recently published Children and Play (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), and many other books and articles. Craig H. Hart is Associate Academic Vice President for Faculty at Brigham Young University, where he has also served as a department chair and an associate dean in the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences. He has authored or co-authored numerous scientific papers and book chapters on parenting/familial linkages with children's social development, most recently from a cross-cultural perspective. Dr Hart also serves on the Biobehavioral and Behavioral Sciences subcommittee, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

“Anyone who has wrestled with these questions will want this book on their shelves. . . This is the definitive authority on raising a healthy social child from 3 years to adolescence.”  (Parent City, 6 November 2013)

• List of Contributors ixIntroduction by the Editors xiiiPart I Historical Overview 11 Historical Perspectives on Contemporary Research in Social Development 3W. Andrew CollinsPart II Disciplinary Perspectives on Social Development 232 Behavioral Genetics 27Alice M. Gregory, Harriet A. Ball, and Tanya M. M. Button3 Conceptual Development and Emotion: A Neuropsychological Perspective 45Steven Woltering and Marc D. Lewis4 Evolutionary Perspectives on Social Development 64David F. Bjorklund and Anthony D. Pellegrini5 Historical Reframing of Childhood 82Willem Koops6 Cultural Psychological Perspectives on Social Development in Childhood 100Heidi Fung7 Sociological Perspectives on Social Development 119Gerald HandelPart III Ecological Contexts for Social Development 1398 Culture and Social Development 141Xinyin Chen, Janet Chung, Rachel Lechcier-Kimel, and Doran French9 The Social Development of Immigrant Children: A Focus on Asian and Hispanic Children in the United States 161Charissa S. L. Cheah and Christy Y. Y. Leung10 Children’s Interpersonal Skills and School-Based Relationships 181Gary W. Ladd, Becky Kochenderfer-Ladd, and Ann-Margret Rydell11 Environmental Psychology 207Christopher Spencer and Kate GeePart IV Child and Contextual Factors in Social Development 22512 Temperament and Social Development 227Ann Sanson, Sheryl A. Hemphill, Bilge Yagmurlu, and Sandee McClowry13 Children’s Social Development Within the Socialization Context of Child Care and Early Childhood Education 246Carollee Howes14 The Interplay Between Parents and Peers as Socializing Infl uences in Children’s Development 263Stephanie M. Reich and Deborah Lowe Vandell15 Sex Differences in Social Behavior 281Vickie Pasterski, Susan Golombok, and Melissa Hines16 Ethnicity, Race, and Children’s Social Development 299Stephen M. QuintanaPart V Family Context 31717 Parent–Child Attachment in Early and Middle Childhood 319Laura E. Brumariu and Kathryn A. Kerns18 Parent–Child Relationships and Influences 337Alan Russell19 Sibling Relations in Early and Middle Childhood 356Nina Howe, Hildy S. Ross, and Holly RecchiaPart VI Peer Group 37320 Social Status Among Peers: From Sociometric Attraction to Peer Acceptance to Perceived Popularity 375Shelley Hymel, Leanna M. Closson, Simona C. S. Caravita, and Tracy Vaillancourt21 Social Skills and Social Competence in Interactions With Peers 393Antonius H. N. Cillessen and Amy D. Bellmore22 Emotions and Social Development in Childhood 413Susanne Denham, Heather Warren, Maria von Salisch, Oana Benga, Jui-Chih Chin, and Elena Geangu23 Social Withdrawal and Shyness 434Kenneth H. Rubin, Robert J. Coplan, Julie C. Bowker, and Melissa MenzerPart VII Play, Cooperation, Competition, Aggression, and Bullying 45324 Social Play 455Thomas G. Power25 Cooperation and Competition 472Barry H. Schneider, Joyce Benenson, Márta Fülöp, Mihaly Berkics, and Mónika Sándor26 Aggression in Children 491Sarah M. Coyne, David A. Nelson, and Marion Underwood27 Bullying 510Christina Salmivalli, Kätlin Peets, and Ernest V. E. HodgesPart VIII Cognition, Helping, and Moral Reasoning 52928 Social Cognition 531Charlie Lewis and Jeremy Carpendale29 Prosocial Behavior 549Joan E. Grusec, Paul Hastings, and Alisa Almas30 Children’s Social and Moral Reasoning 567Charles C. Helwig and Elliot Turiel31 Children’s Understanding of Society 584Martyn Barrett and Eithne Buchanan-BarrowPart IX Intervening in Social Development 60332 Intervening in Childhood Social Development 605Mary Ellen Voegler-Lee and Janis B. Kupersmidt33 The Development of Social Competence in Children With Disabilities 627Karen E. Diamond, Hsin-Hui Huang, and Elizabeth A. Steed34 Interventions for Development of Social Skills Among Children in Developing Countries 646Suman Verma and Rajani KonantambigiAuthor Index 663Subject Index 687