1. SOCIAL UNDERSTANDINGS

2. Peer Interactions Developmental Trends
Infancy
attachment, joint attention, play, & language
Early childhood
play groups of 2 or 3 children
Parten’s play patterns
unoccupied behavior
solitary play
onlooker behavior
parallel play
associative play
cooperative play

3. Peer Interactions Developmental Trends
Middle childhood
group activities
conform to social norms
manage conflicts and cooperation
Early adolescence
increased reliance on peers for support and recreation
Increased division by race or ethnicity
Late adolescence
greater ability to view others as individuals
fewer groups, more flexibility in selecting friends

4. Characteristics of Friendships
Infancy
imitation, simple interaction, shared emotion
Early childhood
conversation, social and pretend play
Middle childhood
loyalty, stability
Early adolescence
self-disclosure, possessiveness
Late adolescence
selectivity, emotional dependence

5. Peer Acceptance Popular well-liked by peers Rejected
identified as not liked
Neglected
few intense feelings of like or dislike by peer group
Controversial
strongly liked by some, strongly disliked by others
Average
liked by some, disliked by others