Social DevelopmentInfancy through Childhood

Temperament • A person’s patterns of mood, activity,

and emotional responsiveness •Shown within the first few months of life

• Differences can predict adult personality • Because they emerge so early…

probably genetic • Temperament is also often predictive

of later psychological disorders • However, environment does matter!

Attachment • Emotional bonding between an infant and a

parent or caregiver •Not unique to humans, but we do not imprint •Major social achievement of infants

• Initially was thought to relate to the mother’s ability to provide food, comfort, and security • Harry Harlow• Studied baby rhesus monkeys •Wanted to find out what was most important • Results….

Konrad Lorenz

Duck Army!!!!!

Attachment (cont.) • About the same time that infants begin to

crawl (8 months) they also begin to display stranger anxiety (this is universal) • The child recognizes who does and

who does not belong in his/her social world

• Mary Ainsworth and the strange situation • Secure attachment: In mother’s presence they play comfortably. When she leaves they are distressed. When she returns, they seek contact with her. (60%) • Insecure attachment (avoidant and ambivalent): Less likely to explore surroundings, may cling to mother. When she leaves, they cry loudly or remain upset and seem indifferent to her departure and return

What causes a healthy attachment?

• Sensitive mothers and fathers tended to have securely attached infants • May also be the result of

temperament • Or a combination of both!• Cultural influences also play a role

Deprivation of AttachmentWhat happens when circumstances prevent a child from forming attachments?In such circumstances children become:1.Withdrawn2.Frightened3.Unable to develop speech

If parental or caregiving support is deprived for an extended period of time, children are at risk for physical, psychological, and social problems, including alterations in brain serotonin levels

Gender Development

• On your own• Read this section in your text

(multiple times if needed)• Be able to differentiate between all of

the presented vocabulary words

Self-Concept • Major achievement of childhood • An understanding and assessment of who they are • Self-esteem is how they feel about who they are

• Begins with recognition of self in the mirror • School age: children describe themselves

in terms of their gender, group memberships, and compare themselves with other children• See themselves as good at some skills but not with others

• By 8 or 9 self-image is quite stable

Parenting Styles

• Vary along two dimensions: • Support (empathy and recognition of child’s perspective) • Behavioral regulation (supervision of the child’s behavior accompanied by consistent discipline and clear expectations)

Authoritarian (low support, high regulation

• Impose strict rules and expect obedience • Children never have a chance to make own decisions with bad consequences

“Can I go to Brian’s birthday party?“NO!!!”“But Brian’s parents will be there”“What did I just say”

Parenting Styles (cont.)• Permissive or indulgent (high support

and low regulation)• Submit to their children’s desires •Make few demands and use little punishment•Very warm • “Can I go to Brian’s birthday party? There’s going to be booze and drugs and sex.”• “As long as we know where you are”

Uninvolved / Permissive Indifferent

• low support and low regulation)• Does not usually occur unless there is something seriously wrong

• Can I go to Brian’s birthday party?”• “Who are you?”

Authoritative (high support and high regulation)

• Are both demanding and responsive• Exert control by setting rules and enforcing them (but also explain reasons for rules)• Encourage open discussion when making rules and allow exceptions, but there is no question as to who is running the show • Consequences are educational, not punitive • “Can I go to Brian’s birthday party?”• “Are his parents going to be home?”• “ I think so.”• “Ok, but I am going to call his parents to make sure.”

So What?

• Children with the highest self-esteem, self-reliance, and social competence usually have warm, concerned, authoritative parents

• Those with authoritarian parents tend to have less social skill and self-esteem• Can prompt some rebelliousness

• Those with indulgent-permissive parents tend to be more aggressive and immature • Also show a higher level of cigarette/alcohol use

• Don’t forget though…correlation does NOT equal causation!

Role of Parents

• Main agent of socialization •Political attitudes, religious beliefs, personal manners

Friends

Read pages 310-311

Erick Erickson’s Psychosocial Stages of Development

• Psychodynamic theorist; Studied with Freud

• Developed stages regarding the social/psychological development of children

• Each stage is seen as a struggle/challenge between two ideas/concepts

Psychosocial Stages from infancy to childhood • Infancy (to 1 year): Trust v. Mistrust• If needs are dependably met, infants develop a sense of basic trust (a sense that the world is predictable and reliable)

• Toddlerhood (1-3 yrs): Autonomy v. Shame and Doubt• Toddlers learn to exercise their will and do things for themselves, or they doubt their abilities

• Preschool (3-6 yrs): Initiative v. Guilt• Preschoolers learn to initiate tasks and carry out plans, or they feel guilty about their efforts to be independent

• Elementary School (6-puberty): Industry v. Inferiority• Children learn the pleasure of applying themselves to tasks, or they feel inferior