Promoting flexibility in young children's mind within the family

The current presentation describes a model for understanding specific criteria within adult-child interactions effecting flexibility or plasticity of mind in young children. Through the suggested approach one can identify a series of factors which are necessary and sufficient to turn any adult-child interaction into a learning experience for that child. The proposed approach is particularly suitable for cross-cultural adaptation since the criteria on which it is based are independent of specific content, context or culture. An examination of the cause and effect relations between parental behaviours reflecting the above criteria and measures of developmental outcome are presented based on results of two longitudinal follow-up studies and one intervention study with high risk low SES children.