Development Through the Lifespan

Development Through the Lifespan

Chapter 6

Emotional and Social

Development in

Infancy and Toddlerhood

Psychodynamic Stages

First Appearance of Basic Emotions

Understanding Emotions of Others

n  Emotional Contagion

¨ Early infancy

n  Recognize Other’s Facial Expressions

¨ 7–10 months

n  Social Referencing

Self-Conscious Emotions

¨  Shame

¨  Embarrassment

¨  Guilt

¨  Envy

¨  Pride

n  Emerge middle of second year

n  Need adult instruction about when to feel them

Emotional Self-Regulation

n  Young infants rely in caregivers to soothe them.

n  Self-regulation grows over fist year, with brain development.

n  Caregivers contribute to child’s self- regulation style.

Structure of Temperament

n  Easy – 40%

n  Difficult – 10%

n  Slow-to-warm-up – 15%

n  Unclassified – 35%

Biological Basis for Temperament

Inhibited, Shy

n  React negatively, withdraw from new stimuli

n  High heart rates, stress hormones, & stress symptoms

n  Higher right hemisphere frontal cortex activity.

Uninhibited, Sociable

n  React positively, approach new stimuli

n  Low hear rates, stress hormones, and stress symptoms

n  Higher left hemisphere frontal cortex activity

Genetics and Environment in Temperament

Ethological Theory of Attachment

n  Preattachment phase

n  Attachment-in-the-making phase

n  Phase of clear-cut attachment

¨  Separation anxiety

n  Formation of a reciprocal relationship

Measuring the Security of Attachment

n  Secure – 65%

n  Avoidant – 20%

n  Resistant – 10%

n  Disorganized-disoriented – 5–10%

Cultural Variations inAttachment Security

Factors that Affect Attachment Security

n  Opportunity for attachment

n  Quality of caregiving

¨  Interactional synchrony

n  Infant characteristics

n  Family circumstances

n  Parents’ internal working models

Multiple Attachments

n  Fathers

n  Siblings

n  Grandparents

n  Professional caregivers

Attachment and Later Development

n  Secure attachment related to positive outcomes in:

¨  Preschool

¨  Middle childhood

n  Continuity of caregiving may link infant attachment and later development.

Factors that Affect Attachment of Children in Child Care

n  Initial Attachment Quality

n  Family Circumstances

n  Quality of Child Care

¨  Developmentally Appropriate Practice

n  Extent of Child Care

I-Self and Me-Self

I-Self

n  Sense of self as agent

n  Separate from surrounding world

n  Can control own thoughts and actions

Me-Self

n  Sense of self as object of knowledge and evaluation

n  Qualities that make self unique:

¨  Physical characteristics

¨  Possessions

¨  Attitudes, beliefs, personality

Self-Control

n  Ability to resist impulses

n  Emerges around 18 months

n  Improves through early childhood

n  Individual differences are lasting:

¨  Gender

¨  Sensitive caregiving

Compliance

n  Understanding and obeying caregivers’ wishes and standards

n  Emerges between 12 and 18 months

n  Toddlers assert autonomy by sometimes not complying

n  Warm, sensitive caregiving increases compliance

Helping Toddlers Develop Compliance and Self-Control

n  Respond with sensitivity and support

n  Give advance notice of change in activities

n  Offer many prompts and reminders

n  Reinforce self-controlled behavior

n  Encourage sustained attention

n  Support language development

n  Increase rules gradually