SOCIAL UNDERSTANDINGS

Peer Interactions Developmental Trends Infancy attachment, joint attention, play, & language Early childhood play groups of 2 or 3 children Parten’s play patterns unoccupied behavior solitary play onlooker behavior parallel play associative play cooperative play

Peer Interactions Developmental Trends Middle childhood group activities conform to social norms manage conflicts and cooperation Early adolescence increased reliance on peers for support and recreation Increased division by race or ethnicity Late adolescence greater ability to view others as individuals fewer groups, more flexibility in selecting friends

Characteristics of Friendships Infancy imitation, simple interaction, shared emotion Early childhood conversation, social and pretend play Middle childhood loyalty, stability Early adolescence self-disclosure, possessiveness Late adolescence selectivity, emotional dependence

Peer Acceptance Popular well-liked by peers Rejected identified as not liked Neglected few intense feelings of like or dislike by peer group Controversial strongly liked by some, strongly disliked by others Average liked by some, disliked by others