Socioemotional Development in
Infancy and Early Childhood
DEP 2004
Spring 2011


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?

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
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Infrequent times when needs cannot be immediately met can help to promote a balance


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
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Begin to use language to express their own desires

Allow children some choices

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


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


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)
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True attachment (6 – 18 months)
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Reciprocal relationships (18 months and up)

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


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


Secure Attachment

60 - 65% 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


Ainsworth’s Strange Situation

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


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 www.naeyc.org
to see if the center is certified.

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


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

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


Not universally expressed in similar ways
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Various experiences contribute to emotions
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Cultural context plays a large role in emotional expression

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

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


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 15-
18 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

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