Infancy: Socioemotional Development – Part I

A set of vocabulary flashcards to aid in understanding key concepts in socioemotional development during infancy.

Emotional Development

The process of learning about feelings, managing them, and understanding how they are expressed in social contexts.

Social Referencing

Looking to others for emotional information to guide our behavior, especially when uncertain.

Temperament

Relatively consistent, basic dispositions that are clear biological or inherited traits observed at birth.

Goodness of Fit

The compatibility between an infant's characteristics and their family's traits, impacting optimal development.

Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development

A theory that outlines eight stages of psychological development across the lifespan, focusing on psychosocial crises.

Trust vs. Mistrust

The first stage in Erikson's theory, focused on infants developing trust based on the dependability of caregivers.

Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt

The second stage in Erikson's theory, centered on toddlers developing a sense of control and independence.

Rouge Task

A test used to determine self-recognition in infants by placing a mark on their face and observing if they notice it in a mirror.

Negativity Bias

The tendency to give more weight to negative experiences or information rather than positive.

Self-Recognition

The ability to recognize oneself in a mirror or other media, indicating a level of self-awareness.