Psychology of
Social and
Emotional
Development
Daniel Messinger, Ph.D.
Today
Introducing social and emotional
development
Introducing what and how we will study
social and emotional development
Overview
Social and emotional development are
intertwined.
Emotional development typically studied
in social contexts.
Social Beings
We are social beings, living with others,
thinking about others, motivated by
others.
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A human brain without a social upbringing
is similar to a cabbage.
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Geertz
One chimpanzee is no chimpanzee.
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Lorenz
Importance of social
development
Development is never in isolation
Infants have physical need for caregiving

As mammals, our infants will not survive unless
we feed them, change them, keep them warm.
Harlow: Rhesus monkeys raised with food but
without social contact become
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inept social partners
aggressive or fearful
have trouble finding mates.
Scope of social
development
Social development is attaining the
capacity to fill social roles
Family roles
 Work roles
 Romantic roles
Topics typically include family and peer
relationships, sex roles, self-control, moral
development, and resilience in the face of
social stressors.

Emotional Beings
Emotions may motivate all human
action.
Emotions involve appraisals, feelings,
autonomic responses, cerebral activity,
and actions including facial and vocal
behavior.
These often occur in a social context.
Emotional Development
Includes changes in all the constituents
of emotion.
Typically involves study of the
emergence of different emotional
responses, and the socialization of
emotions.
Emotional development within a social
context is the course’s first topic.
Course in a Nutshell
Intensive study of several areas of
socioemotional development.
Intensive reading of original sources,
writing about the original sources, and
discussion of the original sources.

A lot of internet stuff.
Class description
Critical questions class-by-class

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Focus of class sessions
Weekly papers
Critical questions, final project


Select for in-depth study
Final paper
Empirical project
Honors credit available
Research opportunities

Psych 367-368
Syllabus
Practical
Requirements for next class

Choose a preliminary idea for a final paper

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Bring this to class
Send this idea to the class using Blackboard

Register your email with the University to have access to
Blackboard
In general
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This is a research-oriented class
You will be reading and writing about original
research articles
You will be expected to complete a mini-research
project as part of this class
Introductions
Your name
Your guess for a final project topic
Or what you are narrowing it down to
 Or what you definitely don’t want to do
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