AP Psych 3.6

Social-Emotional Development Across the Lifespan

Microsystem

People who have direct contact with an individual, such as their peers, parents, and teachers

Mesosystem

Interactions between the individual’s microsystems

Exosystem

Societal structures that do not directly interact with the individual, but may still affect them such as the government

Macrosystem

The larger society and components of it such as language and values

Chronosystem

Continuity and changes over time

Parenting Styles

Parents’ interactions with children on dimensions of emotionally vs. cold and high control vs. low control

Authoritarian Parenting

High on demandingness but low on responsiveness, resulting in lower self-esteem and high levels of anxiety

Permissive Parenting

High in responsiveness but low in demandingness; leads to struggles with self-discipline and authority

Authoritative (Parenting)

Encourages autonomy but still places limitations; discusses punishments and reasons for discipline, and allows expectations; best results

Uninvolved (Neglectful) Parenting

Low in responsiveness and demandingness; cause attachment issues, low self-esteem, and struggles academically/socially

Attachment

The emotional bond between an infant and its parent, caregiver, or nonhuman animal provides a feeling of security and calm

Strange Situation

Experiment used to assess the quality of attachment; stranger enters the room, and the parent leaves twice; tests secure versus insecure attachment

Secure Attachment

Positive parent-child relationship; confidence when the parent is present; explores and uses the parent as a secure base; shows mild distress when the parent leaves; the infant goes to the parent when they return

Insecure Attachment

Negative parent-child relationship; clings to parent (anxious) or ignores parent presence (ambivalent); shows extreme distress (anxious) or no distress (ambivalent) when the parent leaves

Separation Anxiety

Children’s expression of fear and/or anxiety when away from their caregiver and in the presence of a stranger

Disruption of Attachment

Moving from one caretaker to another

Deprivation of Attachment

Neglect during the critical period; causes withdrawal, fear, and worse in extreme cases

Temperment

Biologically determined aspects of personality such as energy level, demeanor, mood, and emotional responsiveness; shy-bold continuum

Harlow’s Monkey Studies

They placed baby monkeys in cages with two fake mother monkeys (one with a cheesecloth baby blanket and the other with only the wires and bottle for feeding; baby monkeys spent most of their time on the cloth mother; the monkeys ran to the cloth mother when experiencing fear-inducing situations; conclusion→ body contact is more important than nourishment

Peer Relationships

Interactions with individuals who share characteristics such as age, sex, occupation, or social group

Parallel Play

Children interact with peers by playing next to each other with similar objects but on their own

Pretend Play

Children play make-believe and act out distinct roles such as mother, father, doctor, etc.

Imaginary Audience

The belief of adolescents that others are constantly focusing watching them with a critical eye about their appearance and behavior

Personal Fable

Adolescents beliefs about their uniqueness and invulnerability

Adulthood

Culture helps determine when adulthood begins

Emerging Adulthood

Age 18-25; it is not adolescence and not yet full adulthood

Social Clock

The set of norms within culture about the ages at which life events should occur, such as school, marriage, having children and retiring

Trust vs. Mistrust

Infancy (birth to 1); needs are dependably met or not

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Toddlerhood (1-2); Learn to do things on their own or doubt their abilities

Initiative vs. Guilt

Preschooler (3-5); Initiate and carry out tasks independently or feel guilty about one’s inability to do so

Industry vs. Inferiority

Elementary (6-Puberty); Learn the pleasure of doing tasks or feeling inferior

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Adolescense (Teen-20s); Testing roles and identities and developing a sense of self or becoming confused about who they are

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Young Adulthood (20-40); Gain the capacity for intimate love or feel socially isolated

Generativity vs. Stagnation

Middle Adulthood (40-60); Sense of contributions to the world or lack of purpose

Integrity vs. Despair

Late Adulthood (60 and up); Period of reflection when one feels satisfied or a sense of failure

Achievement

Identity exploration and eventual commitment

Diffusion

Emerging from adolescence with an uncertaun view of oneself

Foreclosure

Committing to an identity before one is ready because the individual accepts the expectations that others have of them

Moratorium

In discovering who one is, the adolescent separates form the family and tries different roles

Other Features of Identity Formation

Race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, occupation, and family