1. Chapter 5: Entering the Social World
Socioemotional Development in Infancy and Early Childhood
DEP 2004
Spring 2011

2. Guiding Questions:
What are the early stages of psychosocial development according to Erik Erikson?
What is an attachment according to John Bowlby and how does it develop?
How is early attachment quality measured?
How does early attachment quality influence us?
How do young children experience emotions?
How do young children play?

4. Erikson’s Early Stages of Psychosocial Development
Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust
Infancy (Birth to 1 year)
Goal to obtain hope—healthy balance between openness and caution
Responsive, reliable parents
Basic needs met
Protection from harm
Infrequent times when needs cannot be immediately met can help to promote a balance

5. Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
1 – 3 years
Goal to obtain will—healthy understanding that we can intentionally cause things to happen in the world
Begin to use language to express their own desires
Allow children some choices

6. Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt
3 – 5 years
Goal to obtain purpose— healthy balance between individual interests and the interests of others
Allow so responsibility and freedom
Emphasize that actions affect other people too
Talk about emotions of the child and others

7. Growth of Attachment
Evolutionary Psychology - theoretical view that human behaviors represent successful adaptations to the environment
“Father of attachment theory”—John Bowlby
Attachment - enduring socioemotional relationship between infants and caregivers

8. Stages of Attachment
Parents often begin the process of attachment when they learn they will have a child.
Preattachment (Birth to about 2 months)
Attachment in the making (2 – 6 months)
True attachment (6 – 18 months)
Reciprocal relationships (18 months and up)

9. The Special Role of Fathers
Can also be attachment figures
Children can form multiple attachments
Joy is often important in father-child relationships
Fathers also able to provide comfort in times of distress

10. Ainsworth’s Strange Situation Test: Key Points of Interest for Secure Attachments in Infants
Exploration of toys
Social referencing
Some separation distress
Ability to be soothed relatively quickly
Joy upon reunion & proximity seeking behaviors
Ability to return to exploration of toys

11. Classifications of Attachment Quality
Secure Attachment
% of US infants
Strong bond, high quality relationship
Avoidant Attachment
20% of US infants
Used to being alone or caregiver may be overwhelming to the infant
Little separation distress & joy upon reunion
Resistant Attachment
10 – 15% of US infants
Anxious, fearful, not easily calmed
Disorganized (disoriented) Attachment
5 – 10& of US infants
Confusion or disconnection

12. Video Illustration & In-Class Activity!
Ainsworth’s Strange Situation

13. What Determines Quality of Attachment
Parenting behaviors & mental health
Child’s temperament
Attachment contributes to an infant’s…
Internal Working Model
Infant’s understanding of how responsive and dependable the mother is; thought to influence close relationships throughout the child’s life

14. The Impact of Work and Childcare on Attachment Quality
See page 179:
Low teacher-child ratio
Trained, experienced staff with a knowledge of child development
Low turnover!
Stimulating environment
Effective partnership between parent and childcare providers
Check with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) at to see if the center is certified.

15. Experiencing and Expression Emotions
Basic Emotions: emotions experienced by humankind and that consist of three elements
a subjective feeling
a physiological change
an overt behavior

16. Measuring Emotions
Facial expressions are strong indicators of emotions
Some evidence we are biologically programmed to express basic emotions
Similarities between adults’ and infants’ expressions of emotions

17. Development of Basic Emotions
Social Smiles - smile that infants produce when they see a human face
Stranger Wariness - first distinct signs of fear that emerge around 6 months of age when infants become wary in the presence of unfamiliar adults

18. Complex Emotions & Later Developments
Not universally expressed in similar ways
Various experiences contribute to emotions
Cultural context plays a large role in emotional expression

19. Recognizing and Using Other’s Emotions
Social Referencing
Behavior in which infants in unfamiliar or ambiguous environments look at an adult for cues to help them interpret the situation

20. Learning to Regulate Emotions
Children develop various strategies
Over time, children learn ways to appropriately express emotions
Children learn to mask some emotions as they age
Attachment figures can aid in emotion regulation

21. Interacting with Others
Parallel Play - when children play alone but are aware of and interested in what another child is going
Simple Social Play - play that begins at months; toddlers engage in similar activities as well as talk and smile at each other
Cooperative Play - play that is organized around a theme, with each child taking on a different role; begins around 2 years

22. Gender Differences in Play
Enabling Actions - typical in girls; individual’s actions and remarks that tend to support others and sustain the interaction
Constricting Actions - typical in boys; interaction in which one partner tries to emerge as the victor by threatening or contradicting the other