Socio-emotional Development - Unit 2

How do infants and children learn to relate to other humans?

How, when, and why do infants bond with others?

What is attachment and why does it matter?

Attachment is a bond between two people, particularly a parent and child, and it matters as it emphasizes the infant's desire to be in consistent proximity to the caregiver, and it focuses on the evolutionary roles of attachment, ensuring that parents care for their child.

How does the presence or absence of social stimulation influence development?

Founder of the term “Attachment”

John Bowlby

René Splitz

A French psychoanalyst who had worked with Freud and conducted a series of classic studies of how the lack of adequate caregiving affects development

Harry Harlow

Conducted experimental work with monkeys who were deprived of all early social interactions, supporting the view that healthy social and emotional development is rooted in children’s early social interactions with adults.

Konrad Lorenz

Founder of imprinting, a process by which newborn birds and mammals become attached to and follow adult members of the species, which is usually the mother, everywhere, ensuring that the baby stays near for a source of protection and food. For imprinting to occur, the infant needs to encounter his mother during a critical period very early in life.

Theory of Attachment

Conveys that children are biologically meant to develop attachments to caregivers as a means of increasing the chances of their own survival

Secure Base

Refers to the idea that the presence of a trusted caregiver provides an infant or toddler with a sense of security that makes it possible for the child to explore the environment

What does separation from a caregiver cause?

Separation Anxiety/ Distress, indicating the specific bond the caregiver and child have, whether that is a secure or insecure attachment

Contingent Responding

Babies heavily rely on facial expression, especially the first month and a half, so they follow the cycle of person A does something and person B responds, which explains why babies get uneasy and don’t react well when the caregiver keeps a “still face” for too long

Social Referencing

Look to others to see how to react

Joint attention/ gaze following

Call attention to something by looking at it, looking back at the caregiver, and looking again at that object or thing

Attachment Styles (3 Styles)

1. Insecure/Avoidant attachment

2. Secure Attachment

3. Insecure/ Resistant Attachment

Insecure/Avoidant attachment

Explores when with the mother and isn’t upset when the mother leaves, and avoids the mother when she returns

Secure Attachment

Explores when with the mother and is distressed when she leaves, but is happy when they see that the mother returns

Insecure/ resistant attachment

Less likely to explore overall, and is most distressed when the mother leaves, but stays close when she returns, but may act angry