Book excerpt: In psychology there has been an explosion of interest in what has come to be called social cognition. How do people categorise and conceptualise social situations, obligations and relationships? And what are the implications of their categorisations and conceptualisations for behaviour? Developmental and social psychologists are currently converging on the developmental roots of social cognitive abilities. This timely 1983 book offers a useful overview of research and theory concerning social cognition and social behaviour in children at the time of this book's publication. A full range of theoretical approaches is represented, key problems are systematically reviewed, and research programmes and perspectives of leading psychologists in the field are summarised.