CHAPTER 7: Psychosocial Development in Infancy and Toddlers

Early Emotional Responses

Crying, smiling, laughing

Smiling

First smiles while sleeping, mouth while sleeping, around 2mo social smiling (emotional) begins, adults give smiley babies more attention (reinforcement), when visual recognition: selective smile

Laughing

Start around 4mo, simple sensation/ sounds are funny, humor when something meets or diverts from what they’ve learned (peek-a-boo), more sophisticated humor

Self-Conscious Emotional Development

come from awareness (empathy, envy, embarrassment)

Altruistic Behavior

When you’re kind/ do good without expecting reward (give blanket/ favorite toy to sad parent), come from emotions like empathy)

Temperament

Earliest form of personality, characteristic style of reacting/ approaching to people/ situations (how react to others/ act in new env, predictably from child to adult temperament, inborn-genetic input, constant over time, affect interaction to people/env)

3 temperament patterns

Easy, Difficult, Slow-to-Warm (others are mix between or different)

Easy Temperament

40%, calm/ adaptable to new people, regular habits, less demanding, cheerful/ happy

Difficult Temperament

~10%, irregular habits, intense emotions, easily irritable, fussy, easily upset and often have difficulty adjusting to new situations.

Slow-to-Warm

~15%, slow to adapt, mild, not as irritable, cautious at first

Behavioral Inhibition

how badly/ cautiously a child approaches a new environment, predict shyness and social anxiety (20% kids show a big reaction to new people/env), parent recognizes struggle can talk them through situations before and practice/prepare child or give breaks when needed

Goodness of Fit

Certain events may be easier/ harder depending on temperament (slow-to-warm hard in newer env, easy may be hard on long drive), provide support to child, how react based on temperament

Trust v Mistrust

0-18mo, babies trust of relationships rely on trust of parents, can resolve later, if resolve mostly trust (positive) virtue of hope- believe can fulfill need and desires, need some mistrust so not gullible

Attachment

love connection, active, affectionate, reciprocal enduring relationship between 2 people

Strange situation experiment

Baby in play place, get uncomfortable, parent leaves, experimenter tries to sooth, mom returns: see if baby has secure/ insecure attachment (today more avoidant because kids are left at daycare, less stay at home moms)

Secure Attachment

Baby cries when mom leaves, happy when she returns (majority 60-75%)

Avoidant Attatchment

Mom leaves and is no big deal, mom returns and still no big deal (15-25%)

Ambivalent Attachment

Baby is upset when mom leaves, happy when returns and then huts or pushes away because mad (10-15%)

Disorganized/ Disoriented Attachment

Afraid, no pattern (~10%)

Temperament and Attachment

Temperament affects formation of attachment, (parent- attentive and affectionate), easy to have secure attachment with easy temp baby bc not moody, affect thoughts of parenting based on temperament

Stranger Anxiety

Weariness of baby around stranger (~8mo sign of secure attachment)

Separation Anxiety

Infants distress when caregiver leaves (~8mo sign of secure attachment)

Reflections of Attachment-cultural variance

not universal, different cultures many in env care for child/ different child to child

Long-Term Effects

when baby shows secure attachment- advantages, up to 15 yo more emotionally / socially active

Mutual- Regulation Model

baby/ parent read and respond to signal/ emotions of one another

Social Referencing

In an ambiguous situation, baby read others emotions to see how to respond

Self-Concept/ Self-Awareness

Can they recognize themselves (~18mo) in picture/ mirror, rouge study: makeup on nose, recognize in mirror it is them

Autonomy vs Shame/ Doubt

18mo- 3yo, want to make own decisions, assertion of autonomy (opinion), say “no” or resist (mostly autonomy), need a little shame/ doubt to regulate self and know can’t do whatever they want without consequences

Developing a Conscience

Internal standards of behavior, Situational compliance, committed compliance, receptive cooperation

Self-Regulation

Internalize morals and make own choice without parent there

Situational Compliance

Only obedient when someone is there to enforce it, haven’t internalized

Committed compliance

when kids whole heartedly obey rules, show internalized rules, know “right” thing to do, increases with a

Receptive cooperation

beyond following rules, they want to help others without being asked

Gender Differences

Parent shape personalities based on how they treat child, treat girls and boys differently, father especially, more social attention to girls, social communication, smiling with girl (mom), boy get attention rough and tumble play (father). gender typing: cues child to know gender, how treated

Siblings

younger: negative and positive interactions, more positive and playful, fascinated with older sibling and being with them, “social reference” with sibling for security and what to say/ do, lay groundwork for future social interactions