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Buddhiprabha D D Pathirana, PhD

SOCIAL
EMOTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
INFANCY
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Social Emotional Development
1.Emotional Development
2.Theories
3. Attachment concepts & theories
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The First Two Years: Psychosocial
Development
The interaction of infants emotions
and their social context is dynamic
This interplay is seen in a tiny baby
smile at an engaging face or a toddler
flop to the floor, kicking and
screaming

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Emotional Development
Early emotional experiences: pleasure,
frustration, joy, discomfort
Naming the 4 basic feelings: happy, sad,
hurt, mad
By 09 months children become initiators of
emotional expressions e.g. smiling before
the caregiver smiles
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Emotional Development in Infancy
Basic emotions happiness, interest, surprise,
fear, anger, sadness, disgustare universal in
humans and other primates and have a long
evolutionary history of promoting survival.
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Happiness

During the early weeks, newborn babies smile when full, during
REM sleep, and in response to gentle touches and sounds, such
as stroking of the skin, rocking, and the mothers soft, high-pitched
voice.
By the end of the 01
st
month, infants smile at dynamic, eye-
catching sights, such as a bright object jumping suddenly across
their field of vision.
And as infants attend to the parents face, and the parent talks and
smiles, babies knit their brows, open their mouths to coo, and
move their arms and legs excitedly, gradually becoming more
emotionally positive
6 -10 wks, the parents communication evokes a broad grin called
the social smile (Lavelli & Fogel, 2005; Sroufe & Waters, 1976).
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Social Smile

Happiness
Smiling becomes better organized and stable as babies learn to
use it to evoke and sustain pleasurable face-to-face interaction.
Around 3 to 4 months - laughter appears, reflects faster
processing of information than smiling.
But as with smiling, the first laughs occur in response to very
active stimuli, such as the parent saying playfully, Im gonna get
you! and kissing the babys tummy.
As infants understand more about their world, they laugh at
events with subtler elements of surprise, such as a silent game of
peekaboo (Sroufe & Wunsch, 1972).
Around the middle of the first year, infants smile and laugh more
when interacting with familiar people, a preference that
strengthens the parentchild bond.

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Happiness
Between 8 and 10 months, infants more often interrupt their
play with an interesting toy to relay their delight to an attentive
adult (Venezia et al., 2004).
Like adults, 10- to 12-month-olds have several smiles, which
vary with context
1. a broad, cheek-raised smile in response to a parents
greeting;
2. A reserved, muted smile for a friendly stranger;
3. A mouth-open smile during stimulating play (Bolzani et al.,
2002; Messinger & Fogel, 2007).
By the end of the first year, the smile has become a deliberate
social signal
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Anger & Sadness
Newborn babies respond with generalized distress to
a variety of unpleasant experiences, including
hunger, painful medical procedures, changes in body
temperature, and too much or too little stimulation.
From 4 to 6 months into the second year, angry
expressions increase in frequency and intensity.
Older infants also react with anger in a wider range of
situationswhen an interesting object or event is
removed, an expected pleasant event does not
occur, their arms are restrained, the caregiver leaves
for a brief time, or they are put down for a nap.

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Why do angry reactions increase with age?
As infants become capable of intentional behavior, they
want to control their own actions and the effects they
produce and will purposefully try to change an
undesirable situation.
They are also more persistent about obtaining desired
objects and less easily distracted from those goals.
Furthermore, older infants are better at identifying who
caused them pain or removed a toy.
Their anger is particularly intense when a caregiver
from whom they have come to expect warm behavior
causes discomfort.
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Fear
Fear Like anger, fear rises during the second half of
the first year into the second year.
Older infants hesitate before playing with a new toy
Newly crawling infants soon back away from heights.
But the most frequent expression of fear is to
unfamiliar adults, a response called stranger anxiety
.Many infants and toddlers are quite wary of
strangers, although the reaction does not always

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Emotional Development in Infancy
Fear
fully formed fear in response to some person,
thing, or situation emerges at about 9 months

stranger wariness infant no longer smiles at
any friendly faces, and cries if an unfamiliar
person moves to close, too quickly
separation anxiety expressed in tears,
dismay, or anger when a familiar caregiver
leaves

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Emotional Development in Infancy

separation anxiety is normal at age 1
intensifies by age 2, and usually subsides
after that
1-year-olds fear not just strangers but also
anything unexpected
emotions that emerge in the first month
strengthen at about age 1
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Development of Social Skills
It is important to remember
that, during infancy, children
are learning social skills
primarily from their parents--
children's first teachers.
(Harrington, R.)

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Self conscious emotions
Besides basic emotions, humans are capable of a second,
higher-order set of feelings, including guilt, shame,
embarrassment, envy, and pride.
These are called self-conscious emotions
Self-conscious emotions appear in the middle of the second
year
18- to 24-montholds become firmly aware of the self as a
separate, unique individual.
Toddlers show shame and embarrassment by lowering their
eyes, hanging their heads, and hiding their faces with their
hands.
Pride also emerges around this time,
envy by age 3.


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Self conscious emotions
The situations in which adults encourage self-
conscious emotions vary from culture to culture.
Western individualistic nations, most children are
taught to feel pride over personal achievement
throwing a ball the farthest, winning a game, and
(later on) getting good grades.
In collectivist cultures (e.g. China and Japan) - calling
attention to purely personal success evokes
embarrassment and self-effacement.
Violating cultural standards by failing to show concern
for othersa parent, a teacher, or an employer
sparks intense shame
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Emotional Development in Infancy
Self Awareness
... emotional growth that has the infant
realizing that his or her body, mine,
and actions are separate from those
of other people
around age 1 an emerging sense of me and
mine
self-recognition emerges at about 18 months
pretending and using first person pronouns also
emerges at that time.
I, me, mine, myself, my
Emotional development & infancy
In the early months, infants have only a limited capacity to
regulate their emotional states.
When their feelings get too intense, they are easily
overwhelmed. They depend on the soothing interventions of
caregiversbeing lifted to the shoulder, rocked, gently stroked,
and talked to softlyfor distraction and reorienting of attention.
More effective functioning of the prefrontal cortex increases the
babys tolerance for stimulation.

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Emotional development & infancy
Between 2 and 4 months, caregivers build on this capacity by
initiating face-to face play and attention to objects.
In these interactions, parents arouse pleasure in the baby while
adjusting the pace of their own behavior so the infant does not
become overwhelmed and distressed.
As a result, the babys tolerance for stimulation increases.
4 to 6 months, the ability to shift attention and engage in self-
soothing helps infants control emotion.
Babies who more readily turn away from highly stimulating novel
events (a toy fire truck with siren blaring and lights flashing) or
engage in self-soothing are less prone to distress (Crockenberg &
Leerkes, 2003a).
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Emotional development & infancy
End of the first year, crawling and walking
enable infants to regulate emotion more
effectively by approaching or retreating from
various situations.
Further gains in attention permit toddlers to
sustain interest in their surroundings and in
play activities for a longer time

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Emotional Development in Infancy
Specific Emotions
fully formed fear in response to some
person, thing, or situation emerges at
about 9 months
stranger wariness infant no longer smiles at
any friendly faces, and cries if an unfamiliar
person moves to close, too quickly
separation anxiety expressed in tears,
dismay, or anger when a familiar caregiver
leaves

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Emotional Development in Infancy
Specific Emotions
separation anxiety is normal at age 1
intensifies by age 2, and usually subsides
after that
1-year-olds fear not just strangers but also
anything unexpected
emotions that emerge in the first month
strengthen at about age 1
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Emotional Development in Infancy
Self Awareness
... emotional growth that has the infant
realizing that his or her body, mine,
and actions are separate from those
of other people
around age 1 an emerging sense of me and
mine
self-recognition emerges at about 18
months
pretending and using first person pronouns
I, me, mine, myself, my
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Theories About Infant Psychosocial
Development
Psychoanalytic Theory
connects biosocial and psychosocial
development
emphasizing the need for response
maternal care
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Theories About Infant Psychosocial Development
Freud: Oral and Anal Stages
the first year is the oral stage
the mouth is the young infants primary
source of gratification
the second year is the anal stage
the infants main pleasure comes from
the anus sensual pleasure of bowel
movement the pleasure of controlling
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Theories About Infant Psychosocial Development
Erikson: Trust and
Autonomy
first psychosocial crisis
infants learn basic trust if
the world is a secure place
where their basic needs
(for food, comfort,
attention, etc.) are met
second stage crisis of
psychosocial development
toddlers either succeed
or fail in gaining a sense of
self-rule over their own
actions and bodies
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Theories About Infant Psychosocial Development
Behaviorism
emotions and personality are molded as
parents reinforce or punish the childs
spontaneous behaviors
Infants experience social learning learning
by observing others
apparent in families from giggling to cursing
much like their parents
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Theories About Infant Psychosocial Development
Cognitive Theory
holds that thoughts and values determine a
persons perspectives
early experiences are important
beliefs, perceptions and memories
infants use early relationships to develop a
working model
a set of assumptions that the individual uses to
organize perceptions and experiences
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Theories About Infant Psychosocial Development
Epigenetic Theory
holds that every human characteristic is
strongly influenced by each persons unique
genotype inborn predispositions
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Theories About Infant Psychosocial Development
Temperament
Inborn differences
between one person and
another in emotions,
activity, and self-control.
Temperament is
epigenetic, originating in
genes but affected by
child-rearing practices.

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Theories About Infant Psychosocial Development
The Parents Role
infant temperament often changes with adult
guidance
interaction between culture influences and
inherited traits tend to shape behavior
parents need to find a goodness of fit
goodness of fit is a similarity of temperament
and values that produces a smooth interaction
between an individual and his or her social
context, including family, school, and
community
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Theories About Infant Psychosocial Development
Sociocultural Theory
human development
occurs in a cultural context.
sociocultural theorists
argue culture:
has a substantial
influence on infants
has a major impact on
infant-caregiver
relationships, thus the
development of the infant
So the is question
How much influence does culture have?
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Theories About Infant Psychosocial Development
Ethnotheories
ethnotheory
a theory that underlies the values and
practices of a culture and that becomes
apparent through analysis and comparison of
those practices, although it is not usually
apparent to the people within the culture
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The Development of Social Bonds
Attachment
according to Ainsworth, is an affectional
tie that an infant forms with the
caregivera tie that binds them
together in space and endured over time

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Stages of Attachment
Stage 1: Asocial Attachment
(birth - 6 weeks)
Stage 2: Indiscriminate Attachment
(6 weeks - 7 months)
Stage 3: Specific Attachment
(7 - 9 months)
Stage 4: Multiple Attachments
(9-18 months)
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PHASE DESCRIPTION BEHAVIOR
Phase 1
Initial
Preattachment
Baby shows
orientation and signals
without discrimination
of figure
Infant behaves in a way that
elicits the proximity of
adults; behaviors include
crying, cuddling, and
smiling, all of which tend to
promote parent-infant
contact.
Phase 2
Attachment-in-
the-Making
Baby shows
orientation and signals
directed toward one or
more discriminated
figures
The infant begins to
discriminate familiar from
unfamiliar faces.
Phase 3
Clear-cut
Attachment
Baby maintains
proximity to a
discriminated figure by
means of locomotion
as well as signals
Infants tend to have one
person to whom attachment
behaviors are directed. Not
only does the infant direct
the attachment figure to
approach, but the infant will
also make crawling and
creeping attempts toward
the attachment figure.
Phase 4
Multiple
Attachments
Formation of a good-
directed partnership
Infants tend to develop
multiple attachments.
Source: From Infant Development at Risk by Anne H. Widerstrom, Barbara A. Mowder, & Susan R. Sandall with invited contributors
from Robert E. Nickel, Helen Harrison, and Harriet Able-Boone, 1997, pp. 44-45. (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978)

Ainsworths Theory of Social Attachment
AGE
1-2 mos.

2-7mos.
7-24 mos.
24 mos. +
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The Development of Social Bonds
Secure and Insecure Attachment
secure attachment
relationships in which an infant obtains both
comfort and confidence from the presence
of his or her caregiver
insecure-avoidant attachment
a pattern of attachment in which an infant
avoids connection with the caregiver, as
when the infant seems not to care about the
caregivers presence, departure, or return
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The Development of Social Bonds
Secure and Insecure Attachment
insecure-resistant/ambivalent attachment
a pattern of attachment in which anxiety and
uncertainty are evident, as when an infant is
very upset at separation from the caregiver
and both resists and seeks contact on
reunion
disorganized attachment
a type of attachment that is marked by an
infants inconsistent reactions to the
caregivers departure and return
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The Development of Social Bonds
Secure and Insecure Attachment
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The Development of Social Bonds
Measuring Attachment
strange situation
developed by Ainsworth
a laboratory procedure for measuring
attachment by evoking infants reaction to
stress

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The Development of Social Bonds
Measuring Attachment


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The Development of Social Bonds
Insecure Attachment and Social Settings
infants shift in attachment status between
one age and another
most trouble children may be those who
are classified as type D (table 7.4)
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The Development of Social Bonds
Social Referencing
seeking information
about how to react to
an unfamiliar
ambiguous object or
event by observing
someone elses
expressions and
reactionsthat other
person becomes a
social reference
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The Development of Social Bonds
Referencing Mothers
most social referencing occurs with mothers
infants heed their mothers wishes, expressed
in tone and facial expression

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The Development of Social Bonds
Referencing Fathers
increases in maternal
employment have expanded
the social references
available to infants
fathers now spend
considerable time with their
children
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The Development of Social Bonds
Infant Day Care
more than of all 1-year-olds in the U.S. are in
regular scheduled nonmaternal care
family day care
child care that occurs in another caregivers home
usually the caregiver is paid at a lower rate than in
center care, and usually one person shares of
several children of various ages
center day care
child care in a place especially designed for the
purpose, where several paid providers care for
many children. Usually the children are grouped by
age, the day care center is licensed, and providers
are trained and certified in child development