Social & Emotional Development

Attachment

positive emotional bond that develops between a child & a particular individual

• developed through repetitive socialization that results in pleasure & comfort

Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment

• biological basis that radiates safety + security

• learn to rely on the person giving them this relationship

• strong, firm attachment = safe base to gain independence

Secure Attachment

• use mother as a safe base when she is present

• when mother leaves, they become upset and go to her when she returns

Avoidant Attachment

• do not seek proximity to their mother

• after mother leaves, they act annoyed when they see her again

Ambivalent Attachment

• children display a combo of positive & negative reactions to their mothers

• great distress when she leaves, but also want to hug yet kick her

Disorganized-Disoriented Attachment

• children show inconsistent contradictory behavior

• child may be least securely attached

Mothers V. Fathers

Mother

• prefer to be soothed by mother

• engage in more traditional aspects of play

Father

• provide warmth, affection, support, concern

• engage in physical + rough play

Mutual Regulation Model

model in which infants & parents learn to communicate emotional states to one another & to respond appropriately

• ex) playing patty cake

Reciprocal Socialization

process in which infants’ behaviors invite further responses from parents & other caregivers, which bring about further responses from infants

• ex) baby smiling/babbling & parent interacting

Emotions Present at Birth

• interests

• distress

• disgust

differences in expressivity is dependent upon cultures

Infants Experiencing Emotions

• just bc an infant expresses an emotion doesn’t mean they understand it

• nonverbal expressions represent emotional experiences

• born w/ an innate ability to express their emotions

parts of the brain responsible for emotions

• limbic system

• frontal lobe

stranger anxiety

an outcome of cognitive development

• displayed by the caution & wariness of infants when meeting a new person

• more familiar w/ strangers = less likely to develop this anxiety

• able to separate who they do/don’t know by 6 months

separation anxiety

an outcome of cognitive development

• distress displayed when a provider departs from them

• universal

• begins at 7 months, peaks at 14 months

Smiling

• at 6-9 weeks, infants smile at pleasing objects/people

  • become more selective w/ their smiles overtime

Social Smile

smiling in response to other individuals

• becomes more directed towards particular individuals

• by 18 months, social smiling becomes more frequent than smiling towards nonhuman objects