Abstract Interoception—the sensing and integration of internal bodily signals—emerges in infancy and is linked to dyadic processes. However, accounts of how dyadic processes shape interoception beyond infancy and link to later psychopathology are limited. In this article, we argue that dyadic processes are central to interoceptive development and psychopathology. We propose that caregivers’ interoceptive granularity—the capacity to detect and differentiate subtle changes in a child's bodily state—may support prompt, well-matched responding within caregiver–child interactions. Across development, co-regulation may be internalized as self-regulation, whereas disrupted co-regulation may consolidate into persistent regulatory difficulties and vulnerability to psychopathology. This model provides an empirically grounded account linking dyadic processes, interoceptive development, and psychopathology.
The term 5- to 7-year shift refers to the marked changes in behavior observed as children transition from preschool age to school age. In 1996, a seminal book (Sameroff, A. J., & Haith, M. M. (Eds.). (1996). The five to seven year shift: The age of reason and responsibility. University of Chicago Press) synthesized developmental science's understanding of the causes and consequences of this shift. Has this understanding evolved in the last 30 years? In this article, we examine recent lines of research that provide new insights into the substantial developmental changes occurring between ages 5 and 7, including the emerging benefits of active learning, the onset of counterfactual reasoning, and growing sensitivity to social norms. While the role of environmental factors remains debated, recent evidence highlights metacognitive control as a central driver of the 5- to 7-year shift. During this period, children can increasingly translate the outcomes of their monitoring processes into action, enabling more flexible, goal-directed regulation of learning and social behavior.
Abstract Theoretical views and experimental studies on infants' social cognition have expanded rapidly in recent years. In this article, we offer an organizing perspective centered on the number of social agents—one, two, or more—that are meaningfully involved in a scenario. We use this perspective to discuss how infants interpret and predict the social agents' actions and interactions, and to map multiple facets of infants' social cognition, including mentalizing, socio-moral reasoning (as informed by understanding about groups and relationships), and understanding of social norms. Throughout the article, we pose questions for research, emphasizing the importance of experiences in shaping the developmental course of infants' social cognition. We conclude by considering outstanding issues raised by this perspective and how they can generate new directions for research.
Abstract The social, economic, and environmental features of neighborhoods can have broad effects on children's development, yet these contexts are often characterized using single dimensions, such as socioeconomic status. In this article, building on research highlighting the heterogeneity of youth's exposure to and experience in neighborhoods in the United States, we review three of the most commonly used comprehensive geocoded indices (the social vulnerability index, the area deprivation index, and the child opportunity index), which are publicly available, to capture a variety of neighborhood assets and resources. We provide strategies and tools to guide developmental researchers in incorporating these indices into their work. By offering a framework for more comprehensive place-based research, we seek to stimulate more study of place-based effects to advance understanding of how neighborhood factors shape children's development and inform targeted interventions to reduce inequities.
Parents can promote adolescents' well-being and adjustment by providing warmth, supporting autonomy, and regulating thoroughly. Are these parenting practices universally beneficial or do they have unique effects on individual adolescents? Recent intensive longitudinal studies (e.g., daily diaries) suggest that parental warmth and autonomy support are related to positive outcomes in most youth. However, opposing effects (i.e., effects that are unexpected theoretically or that contrast with what is commonly found) occur in a few individuals and in specific situations, and may emerge only after a while. In this article, we present a new conceptual model, which can guide researchers in understanding more thoroughly why, for whom, when, and how parenting processes are universal or unique. These insights, which can be obtained through family-specific research, are crucial for informing both universal and tailored parenting interventions.
