1. Social Development

2. Vygotsky’s Theory
Piaget: Stressed importance of child’s interaction with objects as a primary factor in cognitive development
Vygotsky: Stressed importance of social interactions with other people, typically more highly skilled children and adults
Scaffolding
Zone of proximal development
Vygotsky believed that children learn best when being helped by a more highly skilled peer or adult in a process called scaffolding. The zone of proximal development is the difference between the mental age of tasks the child performs without help and those the child can perform with help.
L10.27

3. Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
Vygotsky’s Theory
Can’t do, even if guided
Can do,
if guided
Can do
independently
Vygotsky believed that children learn best when being helped by a more highly skilled peer or adult in a process called scaffolding. The zone of proximal development is the difference between the mental age of tasks the child performs without help and those the child can perform with help.
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
L10.27

4. Social Development: Attachment
Attachment: The emotional bond between infant and caregiver
Infants attach to those who are familiar and with whom they are comfortable.
Stranger anxiety develops at about 8 months.
Harry Harlow and the rhesus monkey experiment
The four types of attachment are secure, avoidant (unattached), ambivalent (insecurely attached), and disorganized–disoriented (insecurely attached and sometimes abused or neglected).
Harlow’s classic research with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrated the importance of contact comfort in the attachment process, contradicting the earlier view that attachment was merely a function of associating the mother with the delivery of food.
Wood8.21

5. Social Development: Attachment
Early psychologists thought attachment was simply to satisfy the need for nourishment.
An accidental finding overturned this explanation.
Harry Harlow and the rhesus monkey experiment
The four types of attachment are secure, avoidant (unattached), ambivalent (insecurely attached), and disorganized–disoriented (insecurely attached and sometimes abused or neglected).
Harlow’s classic research with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrated the importance of contact comfort in the attachment process, contradicting the earlier view that attachment was merely a function of associating the mother with the delivery of food.
Wood8.21

6. Social Development: Attachment
Harry Harlow attachment experiments
Is attachment associated with primary drives?
Separated from mothers at birth, placed in a cage with two surrogate “mothers.”
Half fed by wire mother, half by cloth mother.
Regardless of which one fed, they spent significantly more time with “contact comfort” from cloth mother.
The four types of attachment are secure, avoidant (unattached), ambivalent (insecurely attached), and disorganized–disoriented (insecurely attached and sometimes abused or neglected).
Harlow’s classic research with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrated the importance of contact comfort in the attachment process, contradicting the earlier view that attachment was merely a function of associating the mother with the delivery of food.
Wood8.21

7. Social Development: Attachment
Harry Harlow attachment experiments
When exploring, used the cloth mother as a base
When anxious, would cling to cloth mother
Body contact seems to be a fundamental factor in attachment.
The four types of attachment are secure, avoidant (unattached), ambivalent (insecurely attached), and disorganized–disoriented (insecurely attached and sometimes abused or neglected).
Harlow’s classic research with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrated the importance of contact comfort in the attachment process, contradicting the earlier view that attachment was merely a function of associating the mother with the delivery of food.
Wood8.21

8. Social Development: Attachment
Attachment: The emotional bond between infant and caregiver
What accounts for attachment differences?
Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation”
Secure infants
Avoidant infants
Ambivalent infants
Disorganized-disoriented infants
The four types of attachment are secure, avoidant (unattached), ambivalent (insecurely attached), and disorganized–disoriented (insecurely attached and sometimes abused or neglected).
Harlow’s classic research with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrated the importance of contact comfort in the attachment process, contradicting the earlier view that attachment was merely a function of associating the mother with the delivery of food.
Wood8.21

9. Social Development: Attachment
Attachment: The emotional bond between infant and caregiver
What accounts for attachment differences?
Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation”
Secure infants
Mothers were loving, warm and sensitive to infant’s needs
Responsive to infant’s attempts to communicate
The four types of attachment are secure, avoidant (unattached), ambivalent (insecurely attached), and disorganized–disoriented (insecurely attached and sometimes abused or neglected).
Harlow’s classic research with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrated the importance of contact comfort in the attachment process, contradicting the earlier view that attachment was merely a function of associating the mother with the delivery of food.
Wood8.21

10. Social Development: Attachment
Attachment: The emotional bond between infant and caregiver
What accounts for attachment differences?
Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation”
Secure infants
Explored and played comfortably in mother’s presence
Calm when stranger entered
Became distressed when mother left
Sought contact with her when she returned, easily soothed
The four types of attachment are secure, avoidant (unattached), ambivalent (insecurely attached), and disorganized–disoriented (insecurely attached and sometimes abused or neglected).
Harlow’s classic research with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrated the importance of contact comfort in the attachment process, contradicting the earlier view that attachment was merely a function of associating the mother with the delivery of food.
Wood8.21

11. Social Development: Attachment
Attachment: The emotional bond between infant and caregiver
What accounts for attachment differences?
Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation”
Avoidant infants
Mothers were unresponsive, insensitive, and coldly rejecting
The four types of attachment are secure, avoidant (unattached), ambivalent (insecurely attached), and disorganized–disoriented (insecurely attached and sometimes abused or neglected).
Harlow’s classic research with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrated the importance of contact comfort in the attachment process, contradicting the earlier view that attachment was merely a function of associating the mother with the delivery of food.
Wood8.21

12. Social Development: Attachment
Attachment: The emotional bond between infant and caregiver
What accounts for attachment differences?
Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation”
Avoidant infants
Somewhat willing to explore
Did not look at stranger when entered
Little reaction when mother left or returned
Little interest or concern
The four types of attachment are secure, avoidant (unattached), ambivalent (insecurely attached), and disorganized–disoriented (insecurely attached and sometimes abused or neglected).
Harlow’s classic research with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrated the importance of contact comfort in the attachment process, contradicting the earlier view that attachment was merely a function of associating the mother with the delivery of food.
Wood8.21

13. Social Development: Attachment
Attachment: The emotional bond between infant and caregiver
What accounts for attachment differences?
Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation”
Ambivalent infants
Mothers tried to be responsive, but were inconsistent and insensitive to baby’s actions
Talked to infant about something unrelated to its actions
The four types of attachment are secure, avoidant (unattached), ambivalent (insecurely attached), and disorganized–disoriented (insecurely attached and sometimes abused or neglected).
Harlow’s classic research with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrated the importance of contact comfort in the attachment process, contradicting the earlier view that attachment was merely a function of associating the mother with the delivery of food.
Wood8.21

14. Social Development: Attachment
Attachment: The emotional bond between infant and caregiver
What accounts for attachment differences?
Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation”
Ambivalent infants
Clinging, unwilling to explore
Very upset by stranger regardless of mother’s presence
Hard to soothe when mother left
Demand to be picked up when mother returned, but also pushed or kicked her
The four types of attachment are secure, avoidant (unattached), ambivalent (insecurely attached), and disorganized–disoriented (insecurely attached and sometimes abused or neglected).
Harlow’s classic research with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrated the importance of contact comfort in the attachment process, contradicting the earlier view that attachment was merely a function of associating the mother with the delivery of food.
Wood8.21

15. Social Development: Attachment
Attachment: The emotional bond between infant and caregiver
What accounts for attachment differences?
Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation”
Disorganized infants
Found to be abusive or neglectful parent
The four types of attachment are secure, avoidant (unattached), ambivalent (insecurely attached), and disorganized–disoriented (insecurely attached and sometimes abused or neglected).
Harlow’s classic research with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrated the importance of contact comfort in the attachment process, contradicting the earlier view that attachment was merely a function of associating the mother with the delivery of food.
Wood8.21

16. Social Development: Attachment
Attachment: The emotional bond between infant and caregiver
What accounts for attachment differences?
Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation”
Disorganized infants
Seemed fearful with a dazed and depressed expression
Seemed unable to decide how to react to mother’s return
Approached mothers with eyes turned away, as if afraid to make eye contact
The four types of attachment are secure, avoidant (unattached), ambivalent (insecurely attached), and disorganized–disoriented (insecurely attached and sometimes abused or neglected).
Harlow’s classic research with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrated the importance of contact comfort in the attachment process, contradicting the earlier view that attachment was merely a function of associating the mother with the delivery of food.
Wood8.21

17. Social Development: Temperament
Attachment is not necessarily the result of the mother’s behavior alone.
The infant’s temperament may influence the mother’s reactions.
Temperament: Behavioral characteristics established at birth
Easy
Difficult
Slow to warm up
The three basic infant temperaments are easy (regular, adaptable, and happy), difficult (irregular, nonadaptable, and irritable), and slow to warm up (need to adjust gradually to change).
M9.19

18. Day Care and Attachment
Does daycare disrupt a child’s attachment to their parents?
Research suggests the answer is NO.
Attachment is more clearly related to the parenting at home
High quality daycare is important
Cognitive development
Social development
Little disagreement that children
who merely exist for 9 hours a day
in understaffed centers deserve better.
The three basic infant temperaments are easy (regular, adaptable, and happy), difficult (irregular, nonadaptable, and irritable), and slow to warm up (need to adjust gradually to change).
M9.19

19. Wednesday Assignment
You will create an advertising flier for a new day care center for preschool-aged children.
Keep in mind the cognitive and social development levels of the children.
What kinds of programs and activities will be offered?
What levels of staffing will you have?
Include things like costs, hours,
levels of care, etc.
Pictures!!