1. Child Development
Quality of interactions during a child’s critical period play a crucial role in their development

2. Children’s brain development strongly influenced by early experiences
Enriched environments are ones that provide stimulating and encouraging interactions that will enhance brain development
Deprived environments are ones that provide few interactions and minimal stimulation and so impede brain development

3. The more enriched a child’s environment, the more neural networks will develop in the brain

4. Rat Experiment: Environment Impact Development of neurons

5. Rats raised in enriched cage have 20% more synapses

6. Examples of Deprived Environments for children
Orphanages where infants and toddlers are provided few social interactions
Parents are over-whelmed, depressed or indifferent so unable to provide encouragement or stimulation to their children
Homes where parents are over-protective and controlling and so severely limit their children's’ range of experiences

7. Behaviors of children who are raised in deprived environments
Extensive extinction results in low levels of energy and alertness
Low quality interactions impedes brain development—so influences general processing and learning capacity
Child will usually lack initiative and sense of competence due to limited experiences.

8. Examples of enriched environments
Children provided lots of affection and encouragement as highly valued and loved
Their caregivers verbally interact much of the time throughout the day
They are provided a variety of stimulating & challenging environments to explore
Exposed to music, simple math, books, sports, etc.

9. Behaviors of children raised in enriched, loving environments
Children will be alert, highly motivated, confident and socially skilled
They will have a high level of autonomy (independence) and they will be able to take risks
They will have a strong sense of security that will allow them to develop many social relationships and to take initiative in their work and play

10. How will an enriched environment impact brain development
The brain will respond by making many interconnections among the neurons, thereby increasing the brain’s circuitry and brain power

11. Crucial Nature of Positive Reinforcement
Children thrive on being told what they are doing right—more specific, the better
Extinction is an excellent approach to discouraging behavior: tantrums, whining
Us of logical consequences & time-out also discourage behaviors

12. Hitting & yelling usually not very effective
Scares children and can make them feel anxious and/or angry
Teaches what to not to do instead of what to do
Ironically can feel like ‘attention’ to children so act as positive reinforcement

13. Infants are alert and actively processing their environment right from the start

14. Infants show impressing processing abilities!
Show a preference for complex and novel patterns vs. simple and familiar patterns
Prefer faces that look at them versus faces that are looking away
Understand basic rules of physics and math
Will act surprised—gaze longer—if view an impossible event—i.e. ball hanging in midair

15. Infants gaze longer at events that violate their knowledge

17. If one doll is added or removed, expect to see more or less.

18. Babies thrive if given a lot of love and affection

19. What determines the quality of attachment infants develop?
Quality of attachment is strongly influenced by the quality of interactions between the parent and their infant
a) Parents who provide show sensitive responsiveness to their infant’s needs will have securely attached child
b) Parents who are not very attentive, aware or concerned with their infant’s needs will have an insecurely attached child

20. How Measure Attachment
See on you tube: The Strange Situation-Reunion
Parent and child come into a new room and play together for 5 minutes or so
Parent leaves for 1 or 2 minutes
Parent returns: Key is how child responds to return of parent

21. How do children with a secure vs
How do children with a secure vs. insecure attachment respond to return of parent?
Securely attached children become distressed when parent leaves the room but are quickly and easily comforted when parent returns
Children with ambivalent or avoidant attachment continue to cry when parent returns and/or avoid looking at parent
They love their parents but past history has made them feel uncertain if needs will be met

22. Infants emotional health is strongly influenced by responsiveness of parents
Revealed in one year old girl’s response to her mother’s still face: Shown in “still face experiment” on you tube.
Importance of responding quickly and consistently to crying infants: How was this demonstrated in a correlational study?

23. Summary of Findings

24. A Secure Baby is a Happy Baby

25. Secure vs. Insecure attachment predicts future relationships
Socially skilled
Confident with a high-self-esteem
Independent and autonomous
Curious and competent

26. Personality traits of person with an insecure attachment to parent
Socially insecure: difficult to initiate friendships
Tend toward being needy and overly dependent within relationships
Jealousy and distrust are easily aroused