1. Infancy & Childhood Social Development

2. Social Development
Involves the ways in which infants and children learn to relate with other people.
Example: when babies cry they learn to respond to someone picking them up
At first infants cling to their mothers, but after a few months will venture out and meet strangers.

3. Social Development Many factors that affect social development
Attachment
Parenting styles
Child care
Child abuse and neglect
Self esteem

4. Imprinting
Process by which some animals from immediate attachments during a critical period
For many animals, attachment is instinctive shortly after birth.
Ducks, geese, etc. get attached to first moving object they see
What could some drawbacks of imprinting be?

5. Attachment
Feelings of attachment are the emotional ties that from between people
These are essential to babies because they depend so heavily on other people for their survival
At first, infants just like to be held or at least be with someone rather than be alone

6. Secure vs. Insecure Attachment
Secure—when mothers or primary care givers are affectionate and reliable
These infants are very bonded with the mother or caregiver
Insecure—primary caregivers are unreliable or unresponsive
Don’t mind if caregiver leaves
Example of anyone you know???

7. Attachment By 4 months infants develop attachment to mother
This attachment even stronger by 6-7 months
Stranger anxiety
8 months—develop fear of strangers
Anxiety is less if they somewhat know the stranger

8. Attachment Separation anxiety
8 months—infants cry or become upset when separated from their mother
Why do infants become so attached to their primary caregivers?

9. Attachment
2 reasons
Contact comfort
Imprinting

10. Contact Comfort
Instinctual need to touch and be touched by something soft, such as skin or fur
Even stronger than the need for food
Attachment grows more from body contact than feeding