Social Development in Infancy and Childhood

1
Social Development in Infancy and Childhood

• Module 4 Prenatal and Childhood Development

2
Stranger Anxiety

• The fear of strangers an infant displays around 8
  months of age

3
Social Development in Infancy and Childhood
Attachment

• Module 4 Prenatal and Childhood Development

4
Attachment

• An emotional tie with another person resulting in
  seeking closeness
• Children develop strong attachments to their
  parents and caregivers.
• Body contact, familiarity, and responsiveness all
  contribute to attachment.

5
Harry Harlow

• Did research with infant monkeys on how body
  contact relates to attachment
• The monkeys had to chose between a cloth mother
  or a wire mother that provided food.

6
Harry Harlow

• The monkeys spent most of their time by the cloth
  mother.

7
Harry Harlow
8
Origins of Attachment
Harlow (1971) showed that infants bond with
surrogate mothers because of bodily contact and
not because of nourishment.
Harlow Primate Laboratory, University of Wisconsin
9
Origins of Attachment
Like bodily contact, familiarity is another
factor that causes attachment. In some animals
(goslings), imprinting is the cause of attachment.
Alastair Miller
10
Attachment Differences Why?
Why do these attachment differences exist?
Factor Explanation
Mother Both rat pups and human infants develop secure attachments if the mother is relaxed and attentive.
Father In many cultures where fathers share the responsibility of raising children, similar secure attachments develop.
11
Insecure Attachment
Harlows studies showed that monkeys experience
great anxiety if their terry-cloth mother is
removed.
Harlow Primate Laboratory, University of Wisconsin
12
Harlows Study
13
Familiarity

• Sense of contentment with that which is already
  known
• Infants are familiar with their parents and
  caregivers.

14
Imprinting and Critical Period

• A process by which certain animals, early in
  life, form attachments
• The imprinted behavior develops within a critical
  period--an optimal period when the organisms
  exposure to certain stimuli produce the imprinted
  behavior.
• Konrad Lorenz studied imprinting.

15
Konrad Lorenz

• Studied imprinted behaviors
• Goslings are imprinted to follow the first large
  moving object they see.

16
Konrad Lorenz and Imprinting
17
Social Development in Infancy and Childhood
Parenting Patterns

• Module 4 Prenatal and Childhood Development

18
Responsiveness

• Responsive parents are aware of what their
  children are doing.
• Unresponsive parents ignore their
  children--helping only when they want to.

19
Securely or Insecurely Attached

• Securely attached children will explore their
  environment when primary caregiver is present
• Insecurely attached children will appear
  distressed and cry when caregiver leaves. Will
  cling to them when they return

20
Attachment
21
Effects of Attachment

• Secure attachment predicts social competence.
• Deprivation of attachment is linked to negative
  outcome.
• A responsive environment helps most infants
  recover from attachment disruption.

22
The End
23
Name of Concept

• Use this slide to add a concept to the
  presentation

24
Name of Concept
Use this slide to add a table, chart, clip art,
picture, diagram, or video clip. Delete this box
when finished