This lively and engaging book conducts a thorough review of the current research literature in developmental psychology and socialisation, and then clearly links theory to practical applications in both clinical and everyday situations. Life\'s first important lessons on how to handle emotions often emerge early on within family relationships, forming the foundation for emotional development over the life-span. Couples, siblings, parents and extended family members all have profound influences on each other\'s emotional lives as well as on the lives of the children they are socialising. Students can expect to learn a wide range of relevant topics bringing together theory, practice and research in a comprehensive and lucid way. Covering the main topics of emotional development, this textbook reviews contemporary research and makes recommendations for how students might practically use the findings in their future studies or in practice. Filled with a wealth of resources and suggestions for further reading, this book is an ideal supplementary text, suitable for students taking undergraduate and postgraduate courses on developmental psychology, family psychology, and child clinical psychology. This book may also be helpful for those taking undergraduate and postgraduate courses on social work, counselling, education studies and family studies. 3 Illustrations, black and white; XX, 343 p. 3 illus.