When a young child experiences negative emotions--anger, anxiety, or distress--can his parents respond in a way that fosters the child's emotional development?

A new University of Illinois study in the September/October issue of Child Development suggests that young children benefit when mothers and fathers differ in their reactions to their child's negative emotions.

A mother’s attentiveness to her baby’s distress, especially in the first year, is more important to his secure attachment than positive feedback when he’s happy and content, concludes a UI study published in the June issue of the Journal of Family Psychology.

“Unfortunately, sometimes it’s difficult for parents to deal with their child’s distress,” said Nancy McElwain, a UI professor of human and community development. “A mother may become anxious when her baby is really unhappy and try to comfort him by saying, ‘Oh, don’t cry, don’t cry.’ But it’s OK to cry.

Not all children get along well with their friends or siblings. A positive relationship with a friend, however, can buffer the effects of a poorly functioning relationship the child may have with a sibling, said University of Illinois researcher Nancy McElwain in a study published in December’s Journal of Family Psychology.

July 3, 2003

It’s about time to gather your bait and tackle and head down to your favorite fishing hole. Before you bring home your catch and fry it up however, you ought to find out if there are fish consumption advisories for that body of water. This is especially true if the fish will be eaten by a pregnant or nursing woman or a child.

July 3, 2003

URBANA—Even though agricultural marketing services do not appear to “beat the market,” studies released today by University of Illinois Extension indicate their use does provide an opportunity for corn and soybean producers to improve marketing performance.

July 2, 2003

URBANA -- Two Asian countries may have growing wild in their pastures and on their mountainsides the secrets to preventing numerous human diseases. Uzbekistan and its neighbor, Kyrgyzstan, which together, are about the size of California and South Dakota, are teeming with wild flowers and plants that have been curing ailments for centuries, but without formal scientific testing and the quality control needed to distribute them to the rest of the world.

July 1, 2003

URBANA—The markets viewed two recent USDA reports as negative for corn and soybean prices, especially with current prospects for higher yields in 2003, said a University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist.

“The spring wheat acreage estimate, along with better export demand, provided some temporary support to the wheat market,” said Darrel Good.

Good’s comments came as he reviewed the USDA’s June 1 Grain Stocks and June 30 Acreage reports.

Monkeypox, a virus hailing from the rainforests of central and west Africa, recently crossed the Atlantic and appeared for the first time in the Western Hemisphere, infecting prairie dogs and people primarily in Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana. Pet owners and veterinarians became infected after handling prairie dogs that had been in close contact with Gambian giant rats—believed to be the source of the outbreak—at an exotic pet distributor in Illinois.

June 30, 2003

URBANA -- Are animal lovers always nature lovers? Environmental psychologist and University of Illinois professor Joanne Vining has hypothesized that people’s affection for animals may have something to do with how they care about the environment.

Psychologists have done numerous studies on humans and their attachment to animals and/or their pets as well as numerous studies on people’s concern for nature and the environment. Vining is the first to test these factors empirically to see if they influence each other.

URBANA, Ill. — University of Illinois Extension, in collaboration with other institutions and partners, has published a research article on the benefits of Abriendo Caminos, a family-based intervention program that aims to reduce obesity among Hispanic children.