Chapter 5 Part 3: Socioemotional Aspects of Development During Infancy

Emotions

subjective feelings such as love or joy that help to define our existence as human beings

Timbre

typically refers to the distinctive quality or tone of a voice

Rhythm (flow of speech)

refers to the flow of speech, with periods of silence alternated with periods of sound

Tune

the intonation, tone, and pitch (low to high) of speech

Vocal Bursts

brief, nonlinquistic sounds in between speech; also, the absence of speech

Primary Emotions

emotions that are present at birth or shortly thereafter; they are believed to be hardwired into the brain and serve an adaptive purpose

Secondary Emotions

emotions that develop during the second year or so after birth, as cognitive development advances; can be a blend of two or more primary emotions, culturally specific, or self-conscious/self-evaluative in nature

Social Smile

smiling in response to social stimulation from others

Stranger Wariness

or stranger anxiety, which is observable around 6 months of age

Social Referencing

when infants look at their parents' faces and behavior for information about something

Emotion Regulation

the process a person uses when increasing, decreasing, or maintaining their experience and expression of emotions

Attachment

a strong affectional tie or emotional bond between two individuals

Secure Attachment Style

an infant misses their mother when she leaves the room and greets her upon returning

Avoidant-Insecure Attachment Style

an infant does not seem to care if the mother leaves or returns

Preoccupied-Insecure Attachment Style

an infant is terribly upset when the mother leaves and is inconsolable when she returns

Disorganized/Disoriented Attachment Style

an infant that lacks a cohesive strategy in coping with the strange situation

Activity Level

the quantity of movement and energy

Adaptability

how easily a person can adjust to changes in a routine or acclimate to a new environment

Approach/Withdrawal

a person's willingness to approach new individuals or places as opposed to avoiding or withdrawing from them

Attention Span/Persistence

having effortful control over one's attention and persistent until a task or goal is achieved

Distrability

how easily a person's attention is diverted

Threshold of Responsiveness

the degree of stimulation necessary for a person to respond to a stimulus

Quality of Mood

the predominant mood a person has throughout the day (e.g., happy, joyful, mellow, or negative)

Intensity of Reaction

the amount of strength of energy a person exerts when responding to a person or place or when engaging in an activity

Rhythmicity

the degree to which a person's biological functions are predictable (e.g., sleeping times)

Easy Temperament

being adaptable, cheerful and happy, and responsive to others and situations

Difficult Temperament

the resisting of physical handling, crying inconsolably, and showing irregular sleeping and eating patterns

Slow-to-Warm-up Temperament

the display of quiet activity levels, somewhat fussy, and wary around others and situations

Goodness-of-fit

how adaptable a child's environment is to their temperament

Exploratory Play

object-oriented play

Symbolic Play

using objects in a pretend fashion (e.g. like tea parties)