1. Social Development Chapter 3 Biological Foundations: Roots in Neurons and Genes

2. Today’s Outline: Biological Foundations of Social Interaction Biological “preparedness” for social interaction Neurological foundations Genetics Differences in temperament

3. Biological “Preparedness” for Social Interaction: Why are babies prepared? Evolutionary Theory  Preparedness is adaptive and useful for ensuring the survival of the human infant and more generally, the species  Infants are biologically “programmed” for social interactions that ensure that their needs are met  Interactions with environment and people help to develop brain and neuron networks, crucial to later development

4. Biological “Preparedness” for Social Interaction: How are babies prepared? Parent-child synchrony Visual Preparedness Auditory Preparedness Smell, Taste, and Touch Preparedness

5. What is synchrony? a process that coordinates the ongoing exchanges b/w parent and child during social interactions Includes sensory, hormonal, and physiological stimuli Occurs from gestation through infancy Video

6. Synchrony Newborns:  Newborns’ alert-scanning behavior → Maternal behaviors → infant-mother and infant-father synchrony at 3 months 3 Months:  Begin to respond to social cues  Dyadic example  Triadic example

7. Underlying Causes of Synchrony Infant’s Biological Rhythms  Biological Clock  Cardiac Rhythms Mother’s Level of Oxytocin Parents’ activation in brain areas linked to parenting, empathy, and emotion regulation

8. Long-Term Effects of Synchrony on Development Mother-infant synchrony at 3 and 9 mos  Self-regulation behaviors at 2, 4, and 6 years old  IQ at 2 and 4 years old  Ability to use words that reflect internal states Synchrony with both parents at 3 mos  Secure attachment at 1 year  Fewer behavior problems at age 2  Greater empathy at age 13

9. Who’s at risk for low synchrony? Prematurely born infants Triplets Infants of clinically depressed mothers Infants of clinically anxious mothers

10. Interventions Kangaroo Care (KC) – Skin-to-Skin Contact Kangaroo Care (KC)  3-month old preterm infants and parents  ½ received KC; coded for touch, proximity  KC families (Feldman et al., 2003) Parents were more sensitive, less intrusive Infants showed less negative emotion Greater touch and closer proximity among triad Massage (Field, 2001)  Greater weight gain, fewer time spent in hospital

11. Visual preparation for social interaction Fusiform Face Area (FFA; Kanwisher’s work)  Domain-Specific vs. Domain General

12. Visual preparation for social interaction Fusiform Face Area (FFA; Kanwisher’s work)  Domain-Specific vs. Domain General Evidence for importance of FFA in develop.  In same location across all subjects  Damage to fusiform gyrus at 1-day old  Replicated in two monkeys (Tsao)

13. Auditory Preparation – In utero 16 weeks – recognizes mother’s voice 20-24 weeks – recognizes father’s voice At 24 weeks  Ear now fully developed  Preference for music After 24 weeks  Respond to readings (Cat in the Hat Study) In infancy  Show preferences for in utero music and readings

14. Auditory Preparation – In utero – The Cat in the Hat Study (DeCasper & Spence, 1986) At 7.5 months pregnant, mothers recorded two stories  The Cat in the Hat and Dog in the Fog RA to one of 3 groups  Read Cat in Hat  Read Dog in Fog  Control – no reading Results: Faster sucking to recognized story Sing and read to your babies, but never use headphones or rap music!!

15. Smells – Mothers recognize babies Mothers’ smelled undershirt of her baby and 2 stranger babies 3 Groups: Time exposed to infant  10 minutes or less (20% recognized)  10 minutes – 1 hour (90% recognized)  More than 1 hour (100% recognized) Most identified within 30 sec of sniff! Replicated with dirty diapers

16. Smells – Babies and Fathers Newborns  Prefer clothing worn by mother (vs. stranger)  Breast-fed (vs. bottle-fed) recognize mother’s scent earlier Fathers  Some evidence that fathers recognize infant by smell and touch  But newborns have trouble identifying father by smell