How are we to understand the complex forces that shape human be­ havior? A variety of diverse perspectives, drawing on studies of human behavioral ontogeny, as well as humanity's evolutionary heritage, seem to provide the best likelihood of success. It is in an attempt to synthesize such potentially disparate approaches to human development into an integrated whole that we undertake this series on the genesis of behav­ ior. In many respects, the incredible burgeoning of research in child development over the last decade or two seems like a thousand lines of inquiry spreading outward in an incoherent starburst of effort. The need exists to provide, on an ongoing basis, an arena of discourse within which the threads of continuity between those diverse lines of research on human development can be woven into a fabric of meaning and understanding. Scientists, scholars, and those who attempt to translate their efforts into the practical realities of the care and guidance of infants and children are the audience that we seek to reach. Each requires the opportunity to see-to the degree that our knowledge in given areas permits-various aspects of development in a coherent, integrated fash­ ion. It is hoped that this series-which will bring together research on infant biology, developing infant capacities, animal models, the impact of social, cultural, and familial forces on development, and the distorted products of such forces under certain circumstances-will serve these important social and scientific needs.

1 Social Influences on Development: An Overview.- 2 Is There Social Life beyond the Dyad? A Social-Psychological View of Social Connections in Infancy.- 3 The Social Ecology of Childhood: A Cross-Cultural View.- 4 Changing Characteristics of the U. S. Family: Implications for Family Networks, Relationships, and Child Development.- 5 Implications of Monogamy for Infant Social Development in Mammals.- 6 Biological Contributions to the Maternal Behavior of the Great Apes.- 7 The Social Network of the Young Child: A Developmental Perspective.- 8 Grandparents as Support and Socialization Agents.- 9 Infants, Mothers, Families, and Strangers.- 10 How Parents Influence Their Children's Friendships.- 11 The Determinants of Parental Competence: Toward a Contextual Theory.- 12 A Transactional View of Stress in Families of Handicapped Children.- 13 Residential Environments and the Social Behavior of Handicapped Individuals.- Author Index.