Socioemotional Development Infancy and Early Childhood Chapter 5

Erikson’s 1 st 3 Stages Infancy –Basic trust vs Mistrust 1-3 Years –Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt 3-5 Years –Initiative vs Guilt

Attachment Mom vs Dad Four forms –Secure attachment –Avoidant attachment –Resistant attachment –Disorganized attachment

Alternate Caregiving ~6 million US toddlers/infants are not cared for by their mothers –1/3 rd cared for in their home Dads or grandparents –1/3 rd cared for in a provider’s home Often a relative’s –1/3 rd cared for in day care/nursery

Effects of Day Care National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (1997, 2001) –Followed mothers and their newborns –No overall effect on mother-child attachment –Insecure attachment Less sensitive moms + low quality/large amounts of care

What to look for? Low child to caregiver ratio Well trained, experienced staff Educational & social opportunities Effective communication between parents and day care workers.

Emotion Basic emotions –a subjective feeling –a physiological change –an overt behavior Measuring emotions –Infants –5-6 months

Developing Emotions Basic –Newborns = Pleasure & distress –2/3mo = joy –4-6mo = anger –6mo = fear –8/9mo = all basic emotions Complex –Pride, guilt, embarrassment –18 to 24mo –Requires understanding of self Cultural Differences –Encouragement of expression –Emotional triggers

Recognizing Emotions Parental cues are important Social referencing –Infants look to their parents for cues on how to react to new situations Affective Perspective Taking –Having the ability to understand how someone else feels

Regulating Emotions Begins in infancy –Looking/moving away from frightening objects Rely less on others –More on mental strategies Start matching strategies with settings

Interaction Play –12mo; parallel play Play alone but pay attention to what the other is doing –15-18mo; simple social play Do similar activities –24mo; cooperative play Organized play with special roles Make-believe

Interaction Solitary play –Problem? Not normally Warning signs: wandering, hovering Gender Differences –Naturally select same sex friends –Resist playing with the opposite sex Different type of play Girls enable Boys constrict

Cooperation Age –Egocentrism –Communication skills Response to cooperation Encouragement

Helping Others Prosocial behavior –Behavior that benefits someone else Altruism –Feelings of responsibility Helping/sharing Skills Needed –Affective perspective taking –Empathy (experience others’ emotions) Socialization

Gender Roles Stereotypes Gender differences –Verbal ability –Mathematics –Spatial ability –Social influence –Aggression –Emotional sensitivity

Gender Typing Reward children for actions congruent with their sex Respond differently Talk differently Different household chores Fathers more likely Peers also critical

Gender Identity Gender labeling (2-3yrs) –Am I a boy or girl? Gender stability (3-4yrs) –Boys=Men; Girls=Women Gender constancy (4-7yrs) –Doesn’t change situation to situation Gender-schema theory –Children first decide if something is male or female; then whether to learn more about it