1. Social-Emotional Development of the Infant
Chapter 9

2. Social-emotional Development
Type of development involving a person’s disposition, interaction with people and social groups, and emotions
Three main parts

3. 1st Part
Disposition – person’s general mood
Cheerful to moody

4. 2nd Part Learning to interact with people and social groups
Family members, schools, clubs

5. 3rd Part
Ways people show feelings through emotions of love, fear, anxiety and anger

6. Social-emotional development happens quickly during the first year
These traits are the root of a child’s later personality
By the end of the first year, personality traits show even more

7. Temperamental Differences in Infants
Temperament – tendency to react in a certain way to events
Sometimes called disposition also
Experts think temperament is partly inherited
Due to prenatal conditions and ease of birth
Factors along with environment shape a person’s personality

8. Rate characteristics Easy, slow to warm up, and difficult
Easy – regular habits, respond quickly to new situation, cheerful
Slow to warm up –take more time to adapt
Difficult – irregular in habits, withdraw or protest, even scream in new situations

9. 4 out of 10 are easy
1 out of 10 are slow to warm up
1 out of 10 are difficult

10. Easy babies get off to a good start
Difficult babies have a rough start
Parents feel stressed which increases stress on baby
Good constant care of difficult babies make them happier

11. Infant’s Growing Social World
Not truly social at birth
End of first year social development underway
3 aspects

12. 1. Interacting with Others Turn in direction of human voice
Move bodies in rhythm of human speech
Babies send signals through cooing, crying
Distinguish between family and strangers
Initiate – to begin –social contact
Follow others around house

13. 2. Interacting with Adults
Love to be held, talked to, cuddled and comforted
Help mental development by providing lots of loving care

14. 3. Interacting with Other Children
Siblings – brother & sisters
Watch and follow children
Like to play with sibling’s toys

15. Learning to Trust Trust is a key part of social development
Erik Erikson (psychologist)
Studied trust as one aspect of personality development
He viewed personality as ever-changing
Described eight stages for a persons lifespan

16. Stages unfold one after another
Each task must be met
Can be positive or negative
No one is completely successful in any stage
More successful, the healthier the personality will be

17. 1st Stage Trust VS mistrust
Infants learn whether to trust others of mistrust them
Mistrust – most serious form of not trusting, which includes a lack of trust and feelings of suspicion
See page 244 figure 9-4

18. Trust 2 key factors are essential
1 – infants learn to trust by having a consistent environment
Same routines, caregivers, surroundings
2. infants learn to trust by having their basic needs met promptly each time
Needs include food, clothing, warmth, sleep, cleanliness, cuddling playing and communicating

19. Showing Attachment Closeness between people that remains over time
Healthy brain development depends on attachment
Overcoming stress easier for those who formed strong attachments in infancy

20. Develop attachment to those who care for them
Attachment behaviors – actions one person demonstrated to another person to show closeness to that person
Staying close or following a person

21. Attachment closely related to fear of strangers and fear of being left alone
See figure 9-6 page 245

22. Infants Express Emotions
By 2 months babies begin to construct emotions
3 – 4 months babies have two responses
Distress shown by crying
Excitement shown by cooing and wiggling
By the end of the first year they show love, fear, anxiety, anger, jealousy, joy and sadness

23. Emotions are thoughts that lead to feelings and cause changes in the body
You are upset at someone (thought), you may become angry (feeling). Your anger may increase your heart rate (change in body)

24. Thinking changes, a four year old may fear monsters where older children don’t
Emotions mature and change
Age-appropriate behaviors – proper or expected ways to express emotions at certain ages

25. Love
Love develops when babies realize they are separate (object concept)
Associate people that make them feel full, clean and comforted
Associate these with caregivers
Show love and affection to important adults and children who keep them company

26. May become attached to objects
Need them when they are upset or fearful
Need them when routines change
Toy attachment can give them security

27. Fear Babies have startle reflex for loud sounds Not showing true fear
Fear as an emotion occur around 6 months of age
To be fearful babies must know they can be hurt

28. Two kinds of Fear Fear of the unknown—
Don’t know strangers, new bed, sudden movement
Fear different sounds, crack of thunder
Fear learned from direct experiences or teaching –
Fear getting soap in their eyes
Doctor’s office
Snapping dog

29. Adults who act or look fearful in a storm might cause children to be fearful
Adults who tell them that many things can hurt them, teach fear

30. anxiety Fear of a possible future event (worry)
Seen in babies by 10 – 12 months
First anxiety of infant is separation anxiety – common in babies caused by the fear that loved ones who leave them will not return
See clues of upcoming separation (picking up keys, telling baby good bye)

31. Separation anxiety in babies younger than 2 yrs may be due to:
Babies under 2 can’t understand why parents must leave
Unlike 2 yrs olds, who remember parents have returned, they don’t have that memory
During the first year, babies need someone to fulfill their needs (dependence), 2 yr olds are more independents
2 yr olds can express their needs better

32. Anger Infant rage – occurs when baby is distressed
Swing arms, legs excitedly
Turn red and cry loudly
By 8 – 10 months true anger develops
Direct anger toward a person or object
Babies show anger in physical ways (throwing)

33. Babies show anger when:
They are held against their will
Toys are taken from them
They are being distracted when they want their needs met

34. Show anger in physical ways because they can’t speak
Meeting baby’s needs quickly often prevents anger
Staying calm also helps and not looking upset
Parents can reduce baby’s anger by holding them close for a short period of time

35. Group discussion:
Discuss how emotions are useful. Compare the usefulness of emotions to those emotions that can hinder abilities to work and play to the fullest

36. Babies temperaments seem to shape their personalities
Babies temperaments seem to shape their personalities. How would you describe your temperament? Have you had these characteristics for a long time? Do others in your family have them?