“The editors have wisely chosen to narrow the field of child development enough to be able to provide a meaningful guide to an important area....Up-to-date research is presented in a clear style....The book is a useful resource for lecturing, and as a reading list recommendation it gives students an academically rigorous overview. For clinicians, it gives updates on literature and a reminder of why the assessment of childhood social relationships can be so valuable from the point of view of mental health and social adjustment. It is possible to dip in and out of this book or read it as a cohesive whole. I would highly recommend it to clinical and academic colleagues alike.”

—The Psychologist


“This volume covers exciting research advances in social development, with chapters from the best scholars in the field. It is an invaluable resource for social development researchers and an extraordinary text for graduate or upper-level undergraduate courses. Anyone interested in the social development of children and adolescents should read this book.”

—Martha J. Cox, PhD, Director, Center for Developmental Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill


“A great guide to social development in childhood and adolescence. Leading authorities provide comprehensive overviews that incorporate the foundations of the field, the latest findings, and cutting-edge research directions. Newcomers will learn essential information, while experts will have lots of interesting new ideas and findings to ponder. This book is an excellent text for both advanced undergraduate and graduate courses. It is organized around multiple themes (self and relationships, social behaviors, contexts, and risk and resilience), which provides a deeper perspective than any single theme could. The number and length of chapters make it easy to design a syllabus around. This book is truly a winner!”

—Wyndol Furman, PhD, John Evans Professor and Director of Clinical Training, Department of Psychology, University of Denver


“Underwood and Rosen are leaders in the field, and their contributors are active scholars who present both established and cutting-edge knowledge. Virtually every area of social and personality development has an excellent corresponding chapter. This is a go-to reference for students at all levels interested in the relationships that make us who we are, from the beginning of life to adolescence. I've used many chapters with great success in my advanced undergraduate personality and social development course.”

—Philip Rodkin, PhD, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign