SOCIOEMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN INFANCY

emotion

Feeling, or affect, that occurs when a person is in a state or interaction that is important to him or her. Emotion is characterized by behavior that reflects (expresses) the pleasantness or unpleasantness of the state a person is in or the transactions being experienced.

Primary emotions

are present in humans and other animals; these emotions appear in the first 6 months of the human infant’s development.

include surprise, interest, joy, anger, sadness, fear, and disgust

self-conscious emotions

require self-awareness that involves consciousness and a sense of “me.”

include jealousy, empathy, embarrassment, pride, shame, and guilt, most of these occurring for the first time at some point in the second half of the first year through the second year.

Crying

is the most important mechanism newborns have for communicating with their world.

FIRST

The ____ cry verifies that the baby’s lungs have filled with air

Basic cry

A rhythmic pattern that usually consists of a cry, followed by a briefer silence, then a shorter whistle that is somewhat higher in pitch than the main cry, then another brief rest before the next cry. Some infancy experts believe that hunger is one of the conditions that incites this

Anger cry

A variation of the basic cry in which more excess air is forced through the vocal cords.

Pain cry

A sudden long, initial loud cry followed by breath holding; no preliminary moaning is present. The pain cry is stimulated by a high-intensity stimulus.

Reflexive smile

A smile that does not occur in response to external stimuli and appears during the first month after birth, usually during sleep.

Social smile

A smile that occurs in response to an external stimulus, typically a face in the case of the young infant. Social smiling occurs as early as 2 months of age.

fear

One of a baby’s earliest emotions is ____ which typically first appears at about 6 months of age and peaks at about 18 months

stranger anxiety

The most frequent expression of an infant’s fear in which an infant shows a fear and wariness of strangers

separation protest

crying when the caregiver leaves

developmentalists

increasingly argue that infants cannot be spoiled in the first year of life, which suggests that parents should soothe a crying infant. This response should help infants develop a sense of trust and secure attachment to the caregiver.

temperament

involves individual differences in behavioral styles, emotions, and characteristic ways of responding

Reactivity

involves variations in the speed and intensity with which an individual responds to situations with positive or negative emotions

Self-regulation

involves variations in the extent or effectiveness of an individual’s ability to control his or her emotions.

easy child

is generally in a positive mood, quickly establishes regular routines in infancy, and adapts easily to new experiences.

difficult child

reacts negatively and cries frequently, engages in irregular daily routines, and is slow to accept change.

slow-to-warm-up child

has a low activity level, is somewhat negative, and displays a low intensity of mood.

Extraversion/surgency

includes approach, pleasure, activity, smiling, and laughter. Kagan’s uninhibited children fit into this category.

Negative affectivity

includes “fear, frustration, sadness, and discomfort” Kagan’s inhibited children fit this category

Effortful control (self-regulation)

“attentional focusing and shifting, inhibitory control, perceptual sensitivity, and low-intensity pleasure”, Infants who are high on effortful control show an ability to keep their arousal from getting too high and have strategies for soothing themselves.

goodness of fit

Refers to the match between a child’s temperament and the environmental demands with which the child must cope

Social referencing

is the term used to describe “reading” emotional cues in others to help determine how to act in a particular situation

Attachment

is a close emotional bond between two people

Freud emphasized that infants become attached to the person or object that provides _________

ORAL SATISFACTION

Phase 1: From birth to 2 months

Infants instinctively direct their attachment to human f igures. Strangers, siblings, and parents are equally likely to elicit smiling or crying from the infant.

Phase 2: From 2 to 7 months.

Attachment becomes focused on one figure, usually the primary caregiver, as the baby gradually learns to distinguish familiar from unfamiliar people

Phase 3: From 7 to 24 months

Specific attachments develop. With increased locomotor skills, babies actively seek contact with regular caregivers, such as the mother or father.

Phase 4: From 24 months on

Children become aware of others’ feelings, goals, and plans and begin to take these into account in forming their own actions

internal working model of attachment

a simple mental model of the caregiver, their relationship, and the self as deserving of nurturant care.

Strange Situation

an observational measure of infant attachment that takes about 20 minutes in which the infant experiences a series of introductions, separations, and reunions with the caregiver and an adult stranger in a prescribed order

Securely attached babies

use the caregiver as a secure base from which to explore the environment. When they are in the presence of their caregiver, securely attached infants explore the room and examine toys that have been placed in it. When the caregiver departs, securely attached infants might protest mildly, and when the caregiver returns these infants reestablish positive interaction with her, perhaps by smiling or climbing onto her lap

Insecure avoidant babies

show insecurity by avoiding the caregiver. In the Strange Situation, these babies engage in little interaction with the caregiver, are not distressed when she leaves the room, usually do not reestablish contact when she returns, and may even turn their back on her. If contact is established, the infant usually leans away or looks away.

  Insecure resistant babies

often cling to the caregiver and then resist her by fighting against the closeness, perhaps by kicking or pushing away. In the Strange Situation, these babies often cling anxiously to the caregiver and don’t explore the playroom. When the caregiver leaves, they often cry loudly and then push away if she tries to comfort them on her return.

Insecure disorganized babies

appear disoriented. In the Strange Situation, these babies might seem dazed, confused, and fearful. To be classified as disorganized, babies must show strong patterns of avoidance and resistance or display certain specified behaviors, such as extreme fearfulness around the caregiver.

developmental cascade model

involves connections across domains over time that influence developmental pathways and outcomes

Oxytocin

a mammalian hormone that also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain, is released during breast feeding and by contact and warmth

oxytocin and dopamine

which two neurotransmitters are important in attachment

Reciprocal socialization

is socialization that is bidirectional; children socialize parents just as parents socialize children.

scaffolding

parents time interactions in such a way that the infant experiences turn taking with the parents, involves paren tal behavior that supports children’s efforts, allowing them to be more skillful than they would be if they had to rely only on their own abilities

epigenetic view

emphasizes that development is the result of an ongoing, bidirectional inter change between heredity and the environment