Language and Emotional Development in Infants

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary terms related to language and emotional development in infants, based on the lecture notes provided.

Home sign

A simple language created by deaf children when not taught sign language, lacking full linguistic complexity.

Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL)

A structured sign language developed by deaf children who had no formal language exposure.

Impoverished language input

Limited or incomplete language exposure that children naturally enhance and structure.

Parental reports

Accounts from parents regarding their children's vocabulary size, often biased and unreliable.

Objective measures

Direct testing methods that reliably assess language comprehension and vocabulary size.

Primary Emotions

Basic emotions present at birth, including interest, distress, disgust, and contentment.

Emergent Emotions

Emotions like anger, sadness, joy, and fear that develop between 2-7 months of age.

Secondary (Complex) Emotions

Emotions like embarrassment, shame, guilt, and pride that require self-awareness and appear in the second year of life.

Secure Attachment

An attachment style where infants explore freely when the caregiver is present and are distressed when they leave but comforted upon return.

Strange Situation Test

A method developed by Mary Ainsworth to assess attachment styles by observing infant behavior during caregiver separation and reunion.

Sensitive caregiving

Consistent and responsive caregiving that fosters secure attachment in infants.

Learning Theory of Attachment

The idea that attachment forms through reinforcement, such as feeding being a primary reinforcer.

Bowlby’s Attachment Theory

The theory proposing that infants are biologically predisposed to form attachments through innate behaviors.

Stranger Anxiety

Fear of unfamiliar people typically observed in infants around 6-8 months.

Social referencing

The process where infants look to caregivers for guidance in uncertain situations.

Duchenne smiles

Genuine smiles that engage the eyes, showing depth of emotion often displayed towards caregivers.