INFANT SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL DEV. Chapter 9

ATTACHMENT E. Erikson’s theory Security: feeling the world is a safe, predictable, nurturing place Necessary stage for healthy emotional dev

ATTACHMENT Forming an emotional bond with at least one other person A bidirectional process Infants generally form attachments to multiple caregivers

STRANGER ANXIETY Occurs at about 6-8 months Difficult time to start new child care

SEPARATION ANXIETY Begins at about 6 months Effects are less if child has multiple caregivers at home At child care: parental trust and positive attitude parents don’t stay to play child told when parent is leaving established routine

ATTACHMENT Secure (see p. 175) Insecure: –Insecure/avoidant: ignore mom’s return –Insecure/ambivalent: alternate between upset and rejection Disorganized

INSECURE ATTACHMENTS Attachment behaviors are relatively fixed over time but are able to change Insecure/avoidant attachments may lead to aggressive, impulsive, uncooperative behavior in later years Insecure/ambivalent attachments may lead to timid, dependent, whining, inhibited behaviors in later years

CULTURAL VARIATIONS Attachment theory may not be universally true In some cultures (ex. Japanese, Chinese) cultural and parental attitudes and expectations and child’s temperament may affect attachment behaviors of children

SECURE ATTACHMENT IN BABIES REQUIRES RESPONSIVENESS AND WARM PHYSICAL CONTACT within a “cluster” of culturally appropriate behaviors such as nursing, snuggling, carrying

INFANT CARE AND ATTACHMENT There is no evidence that quality infant care leads to attachment problems There is evidence that poor quality care may contribute to attachment problems –Staff turnover –Stressed, overworked caregivers –Lack of individualized attention –Lack of respectful. loving care

AUTONOMY E. Erikson’s second stage of development: Autonomy V Shame and doubt Begins at about 1 year of age Toddlers assert their individuality through exploration, experimentation, self- determination (“no”)

AUTONOMY, cont’d Aids in the development of autonomy Physical skills, such as walking and grasping Thinking skills, such as cause-and-effect planning

AUTONOMY ISSUES Toileting Dressing Food Transitions

TRYING TIME FOR CAREGIVERS Caregivers need to support autonomy and discourage shame and doubt by setting clear, age-appropriate boundaries without being harsh and punitive Children need to feel loved and supported despite tantrums and difficult behaviors

CULTURAL VARIATIONS Asian and other cultures stress interconnectedness, not autonomy Many societies stress dependence for girls/women There is debate about how to apply Erikson’s theory

TEMPERAMENT Three personality types: Easy: friendly, happy Difficult: easily upset, have difficulty in unfamiliar situations Slow to warm up: shy, reluctant to separate from parents, less overtly emotional Temperament seems to be stable throughout life

TEMPERAMENT Seems related to genetics and culture African-Americans: tend to be emotionally expressive; “verve” Asians: calm, reserved, slow-to-warm-up

EMOTIONS Emotions are universal Social referencing: infants refer to adult emotional reactions to determine how they should feel Infants appear to feel the basic emotions: happy, sad, pain, surprise, fear, anger

ABUSIVE PARENTS Seem to have a poor ability to “read” their children’s emotional expressions (through body language, facial expressions, and vocalizations)

EMOTIONAL REGULATION Children have relatively little ability to control one’s (negative) emotional feelings Caregivers can help through: –Soothing touch –Distraction

EGOCENTRISM Piaget says kids perceive themselves as central to all that happens (egocentric) But kids can be empathetic and can consider the needs of others Some children are naturally more empathetic; others need to be trained

SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN Some special needs interfere with healthy bonding Hearing: Abused:

INTERVENTIONS Nurturing, responsive care Quiet, safe, predictable environment Positive social interactions Modeling by adults of social interactions