Social Development of Infants and Children

Attachment

Emotional ties formed between people, beginning with the relationship between parents and their child. It is crucial for a child’s social development.

Mary Ainsworth

Psychologist who studied attachment and concluded that infants prefer being with people and develop attachments to their main caregivers, especially the mother, around 4-6 months.

Separation Anxiety

The distress infants feel when separated from their primary caregiver, usually around 6-7 months of age.

Contact Comfort

The instinctual need to be touched by something soft, which can be stronger than the need for food, as demonstrated in Harry Harlow’s experiment with infant monkeys.

Imprinting

The process by which some animals form an immediate attachment during a critical period, though humans do not experience immediate attachment to the first person who holds them.

Secure Attachment

Attachment style where a child’s primary caregiver is reliable and responsive to their needs, leading the child to feel safe and secure.

Insecure Attachment

Attachment style resulting from caregivers who are unresponsive to a child’s needs, leading to anxiety and inconsistent emotional responses.

Avoidant Attachment

A form of insecure attachment where the child is unresponsive to the parent, often due to neglect or inattentiveness from the caregiver.

Resistant Attachment

A form of insecure attachment where the child becomes clingy and dependent, due to inconsistent caregiving.

Disorganized Attachment

A form of insecure attachment often associated with child abuse, where the child is fearful of and avoids the parent.

Autism

A developmental disorder, typically diagnosed in childhood, characterized by a spectrum of social, behavioral, cognitive, and physical challenges.

Asperger’s Syndrome

A less severe form of autism, often characterized by very specific interests and social challenges.

Parenting Styles

Approaches to parenting characterized by varying levels of warmth and discipline, affecting children's behavior and development.

Permissive Parenting

A parenting style characterized by high affection and love, but few rules or boundaries, often resulting in children with poor self-discipline and a lack of responsibility.

Authoritarian Parenting

A parenting style characterized by strict rules, little affection, and high emphasis on conformity and obedience, often leading to unhappy children with lower self-esteem.

Authoritative Parenting

A parenting style characterized by warmth, affection, and the establishment of rules and boundaries, often leading to children with positive self-worth and fewer behavioral issues.

Uninvolved Parenting

A parenting style where parents show little affection or discipline, sometimes due to circumstances like working multiple jobs, which may lead to a lack of emotional support for the child.

Child Abuse

Physical, sexual, or psychological harm done to a child, which is illegal and can result in long-term psychological effects.

Child Neglect

The failure of a caregiver to attend to a child's needs, including emotional, physical, and psychological neglect.

Mandatory Reporters

Individuals who are legally required to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect to the proper authorities.

Child Care

The care provided for children while parents work, including daycare, preschool, nannies, or relatives. Quality childcare can have positive effects on social and cognitive development.

Self-Esteem

The value or worth one perceives in themselves, which influences confidence and the ability to cope with life's struggles.

Unconditional Positive Regard

The acceptance and love a parent shows to their child regardless of the child’s behavior, which leads to higher self-esteem and emotional security.

Conditional Positive Regard

The love and acceptance a parent shows based on certain behaviors or achievements, which can affect a child's self-esteem and emotional development.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Traumatic experiences in childhood, such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction, that can have long-term effects on mental health and overall well-being.