Chapter 6

Personality

relatively consistent blend of emotions

emotions

are subjective reactions to experience that are associated with physiological and behavioral changes

crying

The primary way in which infants communicate their needs and is considered to be an honest sign of need

basic hunger cry

a rhythmic cry

angry cry

a variation of the rhythmic cry

pain cry

a sudden, loud, high-pitched wail, followed by breath-holding, without preliminary moaning

frustration cry

two or three drawn-out cries

social smiling

beginning in the 2nd month, it’s a baby’s smile in response to seeing a human face or hearing a familiar voice

anticipatory smiling

infant smiles at an object and then gazes at an adult while still smiling

self-conscious emotions

emotions such as guilt

self-awareness

cognitive understanding that they have a recognizable identity

self-evaluative emotions

emotions that require a sense of self and an understanding of social rules or standards, such as pride, shame, guilt, and embarrassment

altruistic behavior

activity intended to help another person with no expectation of reward

empathy

The ability to imagine and understand how someone else feels

mirror neurons

neurons that fire when a person does something but also when he or she observes someone else doing the same thing

temperament

an early-appearing biologically based tendency to respond to the environment in predictable ways

"easy" children

children with a generally happy temperament

"difficult" children

children with irritable temperament

"slow-to-warm-up" children

children whose temperament is generally mild but who are hesitant about accepting new experiences

goodness of fit

the match between a child's temperament and the environmental demands the child must cope with

jerome kagan

studied an aspect of temperament called behavioral inhibition

behavioral inhibition

how boldly or cautiously a child approaches unfamiliar objects and situations

Harry Harlow

Studied attachment in monkeys with artificial mothers

gender

what it means to be male or female

attachment

reciprocal, enduring emotional bond between an infant and caregiver, where both influence and respond to each other’s behaviors and emotions

Ethological Theory

infants and parents are biologically predisposed to become attached to each other

strange situation

A laboratory procedure for measuring attachment by evoking infants' reactions to the stress of various adults' comings and goings in an unfamiliar playroom.

secure attachment

are flexible and resilient in the face of stress

avoidant attachment

are outwardly unaffected by a caregiver leaving or returning

ambivalent attachment

are generally anxious even before the caregiver leaves

disorganized attachment

babies seem to lack a cohesive strategy to deal with stress of the Strange Situation

stranger anxiety

the caution and wariness displayed by infants when encountering an unfamiliar person

separation anxiety

emotional distress seen in many infants when they are separated from people with whom they have formed an attachment

Adult Attachment Interview

asks adults to recall and interpret feelings and experiences related to their childhood attachments

mutual regulation

the ability of both infant and caregiver to respond appropriately and sensitively to each other's mental and emotional states

social referencing

one person forms an understanding of how to act in an ambiguous

self-concept

image or ourselves- our total picture of our abilities and traits

agency

the realization that they can control external events

self-coherence

sense of being a physical whole with boundaries separate from the rest of the world

self-awareness

conscious knowledge of one's own character

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

which is marked by a shift from external control to self-control

Socialization

process by which children develop habits

internalization

children who are successfully socialized no longer obey rules on command

self-regulation

controlling our own behavior in order to pursue important objectives

conscience

involves both the ability to refrain from certain acts as well as to feel emotional discomfort if they fail to do so

Grazyna Kochanska

integrative theory of infant/caregiver attachments

situational compliance

Kochanska's term for obedience of a parent's orders only in the presence of signs of ongoing parental control

committed compliance

Kochanska's term for wholehearted obedience of a parent's orders without reminders or lapses

receptive compliance

Kochanska's term for eager willingness to cooperate harmoniously with a parent in daily interactions

structural characteristics

staff training and the ratio of children to caregivers

process characteristics

qualities of the caregiving environment, such as warmth, sensitivity, responsiveness, and stimulation, that directly affect a child’s development

maltreatment

deliberate or avoidable endangerment of a child

physical abuse

injury to the body through punching

neglect

Failure to provide the person with the goods or services needed

sexual abuse

any sexual activity involving a child and an older person

emotional maltreatment

including rejection, isolation, terrorizing, ignoring, or corrupting a child, which damages their emotional and psychological well-being

nonorganic failure to thrive

slowed or arrested physical growth with no known medical cause

Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS)

Form of maltreatment in which shaking an infant or toddler can cause brain damage