Attachments of African Americans should be studied with a focus on cultural practices of multiple caregiving and with an emic approach, in order to detect attachment phenomena inherent in the culture. Misunderstanding of African-American infant attachments is likely if evaluative standards derived from infant caregiving in traditional white middle-class culture and an imposed etic approach are employed. An exploratory study is described to highlight issues that should receive the attention of attachment researchers and to draw attention to the need to expand the scope of discussion on culture and attachment.

Key components of human behavioral genetics and Scarr's work of the past 2 decades are critically reviewed based on scholarship in animal neuropsychology and clinical and educational psychology. Scarr's theory of genotype --> environment effects is not supported by the confluence of information presented. Her opinion that interventions to enhance intellectual development are ineffectual for children from abuse- and neglect-free backgrounds is critically reviewed. Her view that biology makes nonrisk infants invulnerable to lasting, negative effects of day care is also determined to be untenable. Concern about negative implications of Scarr's theory for African Americans and views on interventions is the impetus for the critique.

Key components of human behavioral genetics and Scarr's work of the past 2 decades are critically reviewed based on scholarship in animal neuropsychology and clinical and educational psychology. Scarr's theory of genotype --> environment effects is not supported by the confluence of information presented. Her opinion that interventions to enhance intellectual development are ineffectual for children from abuse- and neglect-free backgrounds is critically reviewed. Her view that biology makes nonrisk infants invulnerable to lasting, negative effects of day care is also determined to be untenable. Concern about negative implications of Scarr's theory for African Americans and views on interventions is the impetus for the critique.

No abstract

No abstract