Section 9.4: Infancy and Childhood: Social Development - Terms

Stranger anxiety

The distress infants show when encountering unfamiliar people, typically emerging around 8 months of age.

Attachment

The emotional bond between an infant and their primary caregiver, crucial for development.

Critical period

A specific time frame during which certain experiences must occur for normal development.

Imprinting

A rapid, early form of attachment in some animals where they follow the first moving object they see.

Strange situation

A controlled observational study assessing infant attachment by observing reactions to separations and reunions with the caregiver.

Secure attachment

A healthy attachment style where the child feels distress when separated but is easily comforted upon reunion.

Insecure attachment

An attachment style marked by anxiety or avoidance of trusting relationships.

Temperament

An individual's innate emotional reactivity and intensity, evident from infancy.

Anxiety

A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.

Avoidance

A behavioral pattern of evading situations or thoughts that cause distress or anxiety.

Basic trust

A sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy, often formed through responsive caregiving in infancy.

Anxious attachment

An attachment style characterized by fear of abandonment and clinginess toward caregivers or partners.

Avoidant attachment

An attachment style where individuals emotionally distance themselves from others to avoid dependence or closeness.

Self-concept

An understanding and evaluation of who we are as individuals.

Four parenting styles

The classification of parenting approaches into authoritarian, permissive, negligent, and authoritative styles based on levels of responsiveness and demandingness.

Authoritarian parenting

A strict, controlling parenting style that values obedience over warmth.

Permissive parents

Caregivers who are indulgent and lenient, providing few rules and little discipline.

Negligent parenting

A disengaged parenting style marked by indifference and lack of responsiveness to a child’s needs.

Authoritative parenting

A balanced parenting style that combines warmth and structure, fostering independence and responsibility.