Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Emotional Development
 Attachment
Entering the Social World
 Emerging Emotions
Socioemotional development in infancy
Emotional Development
Developing Relationships
 Attachment
 Theories of Attachment
 Early Attachment Research
 How Attachment Evolves
 The Nature and Quality of
Attachment
 Attachment of Fathers and Others
 Emerging Emotions
Developing Relationships
Theories of Attachment
 Theories of Attachment
 Psychoanalytic theories




Early Attachment Research
How Attachment Evolves
The Nature and Quality of Attachment
Attachment of Fathers and Others
 Babies become attached because
mother (other) fulfills their innate
needs
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Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Theories of Attachment
Theories of Attachment
 Learning Theory
 Cognitive Developmental Theory
 Traditionally associated with
mother’s reduction of hunger,
wetness, etc.
 Infant first must be able to
differentiate between mother and
strangers
 Baby associates positive change of
state with mother
 Infant must realize that people exist
even when they are not in the room.
 becomes attached to mother
Theories of Attachment
 Ethological Theory
 Bowlby (Bowlby, 1958)
 infant’s reflexive responses important in
forming attachment bond
 Infant produces reflexive behavior
Ethological Theory
 Bowlby’s theory
 Infant attachment behaviours
 Sucking, clinging, following, crying, smiling
 Maternal response
 Retrieving
 mother responds reflexively
 Strengthens bond between parent and child.
Developing Relationships
 Theories of Attachment
 Early Attachment Research
 How Attachment Evolves
 The Nature and Quality of Attachment
 Attachment of Fathers and Others
Early Attachment Research
 Harry Harlow’s research with
monkeys
 e.g., Harlow & Zimmerman (1959)
 Studied monkeys reared away from
mom
 had disastrous effects on infant
monkey
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Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Harlow’s studies of monkey
attachment
 Harlow experimented with surrogate
mothers
Developing Relationships
 Theories of Attachment
 Early Attachment Research
 How Attachment Evolves
 The Nature and Quality of Attachment
 Attachment of Fathers and Others
Youtube video of
Harlow Research
 Infant preference?
How Attachment Evolves
How Attachment Evolves
 Ainsworth and Bowlby (1991)
 Ainsworth and Bowlby (1991)
 4 distinct stages of development
 4 distinct stages of development
 Preattachment
 Birth to 6 weeks
 Indiscriminate social attachment
 Preattachment
 Attachment in the making
 6 weeks to 6 to 8 months
 recognizes familiar people
How Attachment Evolves
How Attachment Evolves
 Ainsworth and Bowlby (1991)
 Ainsworth and Bowlby (1991)
 4 distinct stages of development
 4 distinct stages of development
 Preattachment
 Attachment
ttac
e t in the
t e making
a
g
 Clear-cut attachment
 6 to 8 months to 2 years
 separation protest
 wariness of strangers
 intentional communication
 Preattachment
 Attachment
ttac
e t in the
t e making
a
g
 Clear-cut attachment
 Goal-corrected partnership
 24 months and beyond
 Child understands parents’ needs
3
Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Developing Relationships
 Theories of Attachment
 Early Attachment Research
 How Attachment Evolves
The Nature and Quality of
Attachment
 Methods of Assessing Attachment
 Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation” task
 The Nature and Quality of
Att h
Attachment
t
 Ainsworth & Bell (1970)
 Attachment of Fathers and Others
Ainsworth’s “Strange
Situation” task
Ainsworth’s “Strange
Situation” task
1. Observer shows experimental
room to mother and infant
1.
 then leaves room
Baby explores room
Observer shows experimental room to mother and
infant
2. Infant allowed to explore room
 Mom watches but does not play
with the infant
Ainsworth’s “Strange
Situation” task
1.
2.
Observer shows experimental room to mother and
infant
Infant allowed to explore room
3. Stranger enters room




Remains silent for 1 minute
Talks to baby for 1 minute
Approaches the baby
Mom leaves
 Without baby noticing
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Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Ainsworth’s “Strange
Situation” task
Ainsworth’s “Strange
Situation” task
1.
2.
3.
Observer shows experimental room to mother and
infant
Infant allowed to explore room
Stranger enters room
4. Stranger does not play with baby
 If necessary, comforts baby
Ainsworth’s “Strange
Situation” task
1.
Ainsworth’s “Strange
Situation” task
Observer shows experimental room to mother and
infant
Infant allowed to explore room
Stranger enters room
Stranger does not play with baby
2.
3.
4.
5. After 3 minutes, mom returns
Greets and consoles baby

Ainsworth’s “Strange
Situation” task
Ainsworth’s “Strange
Situation” task
1.
1.
Observer shows experimental room to mother and
infant
Infant allowed to explore room
Stranger enters room
Stranger does not play with baby
After 3 minutes, mom returns
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. When baby goes back to playing
Mom leaves again


Says “bye-bye” as she leaves
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Observer shows experimental room to mother and
infant
Infant allowed to explore room
Stranger enters room
Stranger does not play with baby
After 3 minutes, mom returns
When baby goes back to playing
7. Stranger attempts to calm and
play with baby
5
Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Ainsworth’s “Strange
Situation” task
Ainsworth’s 3 types of
attachment +1
1.
 Secure attachment (65%)
Observer shows experimental room to mother and
infant
Infant allowed to explore room
Stranger enters room
Stranger does not play with baby
After 3 minutes, mom returns
When baby goes back to playing
Stranger attempts to calm and play with baby
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
 When in room with mom
 Infant explores
 Uses mom as secure base
8. After 3 minutes

Mother returns
 Stranger leaves
Youtube video of the strange situation task
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH_swXJLQI4A
Ainsworth’s 3 types of
attachment +1
 Secure attachment (65%)
 when stranger enters room
 Show some wariness, but not distress
 when mom leaves
 Shows anxiousness
Ainsworth’s 3 types of
attachment +1
 Secure attachment (65%)
 Insecure-avoidant (20%)
 Extraordinarily independent
 Indifferent to mom and her behaviour
 When mom returns
 Seeks contact with mom
 Appears happy at reunion
Ainsworth’s 3 types of
attachment +1
 Secure attachment (65%)
 Insecure-avoidant (20%)
 Insecure-resistant (15%)
 Extraordinarily clingy to mom
 When mom leaves
 Becomes very upset
 When mom returns
 Stays upset
Ainsworth’s 3 types of
attachment +1
 Secure attachment (65%)
 Insecure-avoidant (20%)
 Insecure-resistant (15%)
 Insecure-disorganized
 Main & Solomon (1986)
 Don’t fit in other categories
 When mom leaves
 Very upset
 When mom present
 Very stressed out
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Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Attachment across cultures
Quality of Attachment
The Parents’ Role
 Cassidy and Berlin (1994)
 What characteristics of mother help
determine attachment?
Quality of Attachment
The Parent’s role
 Cassidy and Berlin (1994)
 Mothers of securely attached infant are:
 consistent
Quality of Attachment
The Parent’s role
 Cassidy and Berlin (1994)
 Mothers of insecurely attached
infants are:
 responsive
 rejecting and unavailable
 allow infant to play role in determining feeding
times and pace
 inconsistent
Developing Relationships




Theories of Attachment
Early Attachment Research
How Attachment Evolves
The Nature and Quality of Attachment
 Attachment of Fathers and Others
Attachment of Fathers and
Others
 Attachment to fathers
 Often just as strong as attachment to
mothers
 According to Lamb (1977, 1996)
 In stressful situation, baby usually
prefers mom
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Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Attachment of Fathers and
Others
 Fathers often preferred
as playmates
y is more
 Dad’s p
play
physically stimulating
Developing Relationships





Theories of Attachment
Early Attachment Research
How Attachment Evolves
The Nature and Quality of Attachment
Attachment of Fathers and Others
 Consequences of Attachment
 Mom’s play tends to be
more verbal
 E.g., peek-a-boo
Consequences of attachment
Consequences of attachment
 According to Bowlby and other
theorists
 Lieberman, Doyle, & Markiewicz
(1999)
 The attachment relationships lay the
foundation for all other social
relationships
 Securely attached children
 Have higher-quality friendships
 Have fewer conflicts in friendships
Consequences of attachment
Consequences of attachment
 Carlson (1998); Moss et al. (1998)
 Elicker, Englund, & Sroufe (1992)
 Among school-age children
 Securely attached children had fewer
b h i
behavioural
l problems
bl
 Tested 11 year old children at camp
 Children securely attached as infants
 Interacted more skillfully with peers
 Had more close friends
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Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Consequences of attachment
Consequences of attachment
 Conclusions
 Secure attachments promote
 With development
 Social interactions of securely attached
kid tend
kids
t d to
t be
b more satisfying
ti f i
 Why?
 Trust
 Confidence in other humans
 Secure attachments lead to
 More skilled social interactions later
in childhood
Consequences of attachment
Consequences of attachment
 The unfortunate side of
attachment
 Negative outcomes when the
attachment is Insecure—Disorganized.
 Benoit (2004) indicates that
disorganized attachment in infancy
and early childhood
 Insecure-Disorganized attachment
style is often associated with
negative outcomes
 E.g., Benoit (2004)
 Recognized as a powerful predictor for
serious psychopathology and
maladjustment in children
Consequences of attachment
Consequences of attachment
 Outcomes when the attachment is
Insecure—Disorganized.
 Benoit (2004) adds that children with
yp of attachment:
this type
 Outcomes when the attachment is
Insecure—Disorganized.
 Benoit (2004) continues:
 Are more vulnerable to stress
 Have problems with regulation and
control of negative emotions
 Display oppositional, hostile, aggressive
behaviours and coercive styles of
interaction
 Di
Disorganized
i d attachment
tt h
t is
i overrepresented in groups of children with
clinical problems and those who are
victims of maltreatment
 Nearly 80% of maltreated infants have
disorganized attachment
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Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Emotional Development
 Attachment
 Emerging Emotions
Experiencing and Expressing
Emotions
 Some basic emotions exist
 Joy
 Anger
 Fear
 Basic emotions consist of:
 A subjective feeling
 A physiological change
 An overt behaviour
Measuring Emotions
Measuring Emotions
 Indicator of emotional state
 Indicator of emotional state
 Facial expressions
 Among infants worldwide we see similar
expression
i
off emotions
ti
 Facial expressions
 By 5-6 months, infants’ facial
expressions change in reaction to
events.
Measuring Emotions
Development of Basic Emotions
 Indicator of emotional state
 At 2-3 months
 Facial expressions
 By 5-6 months, infants’ facial expressions change in
reaction to events.
 Close resemblance between adult and
infant smiles
 Social smiles begin
 Around 6 months
 Stranger wariness begins
 Suggest facial expressions have similar
meaning.
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Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Emergence of Complex Emotions
Cultural Differences in Emotional
Expression
 Complex emotions emerge around
18-24 months.
 Worldwide children express many
of the same emotions
 Complex emotions include:
 Guilt
 Embarrassment
 Pride
Cultural Differences in Emotional
Expression
Cultural Differences in Emotional
Expression
 Worldwide children express many of the same emotions
 Worldwide children express many of the same emotions
 Cultures differ in encouragement
of emotional expression
 Cultures differ in encouragement of emotional expression
Cultural Differences in Emotional
Expression
Recognizing and Using
Others’ Emotions
 Worldwide children express many of the same emotions
 At 4-6 months
 Cultures differ in encouragement of emotional expression
 Cultures also differ in the events that trigger emotions.
 Cultures influence when and how
much children express emotions.
 Cultures also differ in the events
that trigger emotions.
emotions
 Infants can distinguish facial
expression and the emotions they
portray.
t
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Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Recognizing and Using
Others’ Emotions
Recognizing and Using
Others’ Emotions
 At 4-6 months
 At 4-6 months
 Infants use parent for social
referencing
 Infants use parent for social referencing
 Look to parents’ face for cues to help
interpret social situations
A p
positive and rewarding
g
relationship with parents and
siblings
 Improves children’s understanding of
emotions.
Emerging Emotions
Temperament
 By 4-6 months
 Temperament:
 children can use simple strategies to
regulate their emotions.
E
E.g.,
g
 When frightened or confused, infant
looks away
 The characteristics of infants that
indicate a consistent style or pattern
t an infant’s
to
i f t’ behaviour.
b h i
Caspi’s (1998) 5 dimensions of
temperament
Caspi’s (1998) 5 dimensions of
temperament
 Activity Level
 Activity Level
 The amount of physical and motor
activity in daily situations
 Positive Affect
 The extent to which the child
expresses pleasure, enthusiasm, and
contentment
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Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Caspi’s (1998) 5 dimensions of
temperament
Caspi’s (1998) 5 dimensions of
temperament
 Activity Level
 Activity Level
 Positive Affect
 Positive Affect
 Persistence
 Persistence
 The amount of time a child devotes to
an activity
 Particularly when obstacles get in way
 Reflects ability to ignore distractions
Caspi’s (1998) 5 dimensions of
temperament
 Activity Level
 Positive Affect
 Persistence
 Inhibition
 Negative Affect
 The extent to which a child is
irritable, easily distresses, and is
prone to anger
 Inhibition
 The extent to which a child is shy and
withdrawn
 Particularly in unfamiliar settings
Temperament
 Thomas and Chess (1984) studied
temperament in children
 Assessed 9 behaviours in children








Activity level
Rhythmicity
Rh
h i i
Approach or withdrawal
Adaptability
Threshold of responsiveness
Intensity of reaction
Quality of mood distractibility
Attention span and persistence.
Temperament
Temperament
 Thomas and Chess (1984) studied
temperament in children
 Thomas and Chess (1984) studied
temperament in children
 Found 60% of children fall into one of three
g
groups:
p
 Easy Child
 Often in a good mood
 Easily adapts to new situations.
 Found 60% of children fall into one of three
g
groups:
p
 Easy Child
 Difficult Child
 Slow to adapt to change
 When frustrated
 Likely to have tantrums or cry loudly
13
Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Temperament
Temperament
 Thomas and Chess (1984) studied
temperament in children
 Found 60% of children fall into one of three
groups:
 Many theories agree that temperament
reflects both heredity and experience.
 Heredity
 Easy
E
Child
 Difficult Child
 Twins
T i show
h
similar
i il temperament
t
t
 Slow-to-warm Child
 In new situations
 Initially, shows negative response
 After repeated exposure, comes to
accept new situation
Temperament
Temperament
 Many theories agree that temperament
reflects both heredity and experience.
 Many theories agree that temperament
reflects both heredity and experience.
 Heredity
 Heredity
 Environment
 Environment
 Positive Emotionality linked to
environment (Goldsmith et al., 1997)
 Positive emotionality = Children who
laugh often and seem to be generally
happy
 Positive Emotionality linked to environment
 Mothers who are abrupt with their
children and lack confidence (Belsky et al.,
1991)
 Have infants with intense and difficult
temperaments
Stability of Temperament
Stability of Temperament
 Kagan (1989) found stability in terms of
temperament
 Used data from Fels Longitudinal Project
 Found that fearful preschoolers tended
to be inhibited as older children and
adolescents.
 Kagan (1989) found stability in terms of temperament
 Stifter and Fox (1990) also found stability
in temperament during the infant and
toddler years
years.
 Newborns who cry under moderate stress,
cry when placed under stress as 5-month
olds
14
Psyc 2006: Socioemotional Development in Infancy
Oct 3 and 10, 2013
Emotional Development
 Summary
 Attachment an important bond
 May set stage for future relationships
 Next
 Test 1 Chapters 1 to 4 and
accompanying lecture material.
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