3.8 Social-Emotional Development

Anxious Attachment

An insecure attachment style where individuals fear abandonment and seek constant reassurance in relationships.

Authoritarian Parenting

A strict, high-demand and low-responsiveness parenting style; linked to obedience but lower happiness in children.

Authoritative Parenting

A balanced style with high expectations and high support; leads to confident, well-adjusted children.

Autonomy vs Shame & Doubt

Erikson’s toddler-stage conflict; success leads to independence, failure leads to shame and doubt.

Avoidant Attachment

An insecure attachment where individuals emotionally distance themselves and avoid closeness.

Chronosystem

The time-based element of Bronfenbrenner’s model, including life transitions and historical events.

Disorganized Attachment

An attachment style with conflicting behaviors, often linked to trauma or abuse.

Exosystem

Part of Bronfenbrenner’s theory; includes settings that indirectly affect the individual (e.g., a parent’s job).

Generativity vs Stagnation

Erikson’s middle adulthood stage; success involves contributing to others, failure leads to stagnation.

Identity Achievement

A status where a person has explored and committed to a stable sense of identity.

Identity Diffusion

A status where the person has not explored or committed to any identity path; often seems apathetic.

Identity Foreclosure

A status where an identity is adopted without exploration, often based on others’ expectations.

Identity Moratorium

A period of active identity exploration without commitment.

Identity vs Role Confusion

Erikson’s adolescent stage; success builds a strong identity, failure leads to confusion about self.

Imaginary Audience

Adolescents’ belief that others are constantly watching and judging them.

Industry vs Inferiority

Erikson’s elementary school stage; success leads to competence, failure results in feelings of inadequacy.

Initiative vs Guilt

Erikson’s preschool stage; success builds leadership and initiative, failure results in guilt.

Integrity vs Despair

Erikson’s late adulthood stage; reflection leads to satisfaction (integrity) or regret (despair).

Intimacy vs Isolation

Erikson’s young adulthood stage; success leads to loving relationships, failure leads to loneliness.

Macrosystem

The broader cultural context, such as laws, beliefs, and customs, in Bronfenbrenner’s theory.

Mesosystem

The connections between parts of the microsystem (e.g., family-school interaction).

Microsystem

The immediate environments a person interacts with directly, like family, school, and peers.

Neglectful Parenting

A parenting style with low responsiveness and low demands; often leads to poor outcomes in children.

Parallel Play

When children play near each other without directly interacting; typical of toddlers.

Permissive Parenting

A lenient parenting style with high warmth but few rules; can lead to poor self-discipline in children.

Personal Fable

Adolescents’ belief in their uniqueness and invincibility; 'No one understands me.'

Secure Attachment

A healthy attachment style where the child feels safe and confident to explore, knowing support is available.

Trust vs Mistrust

Erikson’s infancy stage; consistent care builds trust, inconsistent care leads to mistrust.