INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT STRANGER ANXIETY Stranger

INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

STRANGER ANXIETY • Stranger anxiety: fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age – Schemas for familiar faces distress

THE ORIGINS OF ATTACHMENT • Attachment: an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation – Originally understood to be based on the need for nourishment – Harlow’s monkeys https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=_O 60 TYAIg. C 4 • Body Contact- secure base • Rocking/warmth/feeding

FAMILIARITY • Attachments form during the critical period (optimal period early in the life of the organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development) • Karl Lorenz – Imprinting (process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early-life critical period – Ducklings! – Children do NOT imprint- but they do become attached during a less-defined sensitive period • Familiarity is good- safety signal-content

MARY AINSWORTH • Strange Situation (1 year old infants in a lab playroom with mother/stranger) – Attachment styles!

TEMPERAMENT • Temperament- a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity – Heredity predisposes temperament differences – Temperament differences tend to be relatively stable and persistent • Physiological as well – Anxious, inhibited infants have high variable heart rates and a reactive nervous system – Thus- parenting must vary in response

DEPRIVATION OF ATTACHMENT • Romanian orphanages • Resiliency • Abuse

SELF-CONCEPT • All our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question: Who am I? – Self-esteem is how they feel about who they are – Self-awareness

PARENTING STYLES • Authoritarian- parents impose rules and expect obedience • Permissive-submit to children’s desires, few demands, little punishment • Authoritative- both demanding and responsive, set rules and enforce them but also explain them; open to discussion/allow exceptions