Child & Adolescent Development: Emotional Development

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to emotional development in children, including emotions, attachment styles, temperament, and emotional regulation.

Primary emotions

Emotions that are present in humans and other animals; they appear in the first 6 months of life and include surprise, interest, joy, anger, sadness, fear, and disgust.

Self-conscious emotions

Emotions that require self-awareness, consciousness, and a sense of 'me'; these include jealousy, empathy, embarrassment, pride, shame, and guilt, occurring after 18 months of age.

Basic cry

A rhythmic pattern of crying followed by brief silence, a shorter inspiratory whistle, and another brief rest before the next cry.

Anger cry

A loud, harsh variation of the basic cry, resembling shouting.

Pain cry

A sudden, long initial loud cry followed by breath holding, typically occurring in response to an external stimulus.

Social smiles

Smiles that occur in response to people, beginning around 4-6 weeks, extending to smiling at faces and pleasing stimuli.

Anticipatory smiles

Smiles that communicate pre-existing positive emotion by smiling at an object and then toward an adult, predicting future social behavior.

Stranger anxiety

Wariness displayed by infants toward unfamiliar people, typically emerging around 6-8 months.

Separation anxiety

Distress shown by infants when their customary caregiver departs.

Emotional regulation

The ability to effectively manage arousal (alertness or activation) to adapt to circumstances.

Goodness of fit

The match between a child's temperament and the environmental demands they must cope with, which can influence their behavior.

Emotional competence

Awareness of one's emotional states, ability to detect others' emotions, and adaptively cope with negative emotions.

Theory of Mind

Understanding that others have mental states (like desires and beliefs) that guide their behaviors, which typically develops around age 4.

Emotion-coaching parents

Parents who monitor their child’s emotions and view negative emotions as teaching opportunities, helping children label and cope with emotions.

Attachment

The positive emotional bond that develops between a child and a particular caregiver, characterized by feelings of pleasure and comfort.

Secure attachment

Attachment style where the child is upset when the mother leaves but greets her with joy upon return.

Insecure avoidant attachment

Attachment style where the child shows indifference when the mother leaves and little or no reaction upon her return.

Insecure resistant attachment

Attachment style where the child is upset when separated from the mother and shows resistance to warmth upon her return.

Disorganized attachment

Attachment style characterized by contradictory responses to the caregiver, often linked to neglect or abuse.