Chapter 10:

Basic Sensory and Perceptual Processes

Chapter 10: Emotional Development

Chapter 10 contains three modules:

Module 10.1 Emerging Emotions

Module 10.2 Temperament

Module 10.3 Attachment

Emerging Emotions

The Function of Emotions

• Help people adapt to their environments

• Lead to avoiding danger (fear)

• Strengthen relationships (happiness)

• Keep people away from things that make them ill (disgust)

Development of Basic Emotions

Basic emotions• fear, surprise, anger, disgust, happiness,

sadness

Developmental path• 2-3 mos: social smile• 4-6 mos: generalized distress, anger• 6-9 mos: stranger wariness; fear, regret

Emergence of Complex Emotions

Complex emotions• Feelings of success and failure

Developmental path• 18-24 mos: understanding of self; guilt,

embarrassment; pride

Later Emotional Development

Later development• Emotional repertoire expands with age and

triggers changes

Developmental path• 7 years: regret; relief

Cultural Differences in Emotional ExpressionWorldwide• Expression of many same basic and

complex emotions• Difference in ways emotional expressions

encouraged and in emotional triggers

Culture influences when and how much children express emotions.

Recognizing and Using Others’ Emotions

• By 4-6 months: identify facial expressions associated with different emotions

• Elementary school: understand people can have mixed feelings

• As children develop, they also begin to learn display rules

Regulating Emotions

Temperament

What is Temperament?

Temperament: behavioral styles that are fairly stable across situations and are biologically based

Thomas and Chess• 3 patterns• 5 dimensions

Structure Theory of Temperament in Infancy

Rothbart•3 dimensions

Can you name and provide an example for each of these dimensions?

True or False?

Temperament is moderately stable through infancy, childhood, and adolescence.

Stability of Temperament

• Fearful preschoolers tend to be inhibited as older child and adolescent

• Inhibited children more likely to be introverted adults

Temperament and Other Aspects of Development

Various aspects of temperament related to: • school success• peer interactions• compliance with parents• depression• helping others• environmental influences

Temperament and Helping Behavior

Young child’s temperament helps

determine if child will help.

Look at the figure to the right. Can you explain?

Attachment

The Growth of Attachment

Attachment: Enduring social-emotional relationship between infant and parent

• Relies upon infant’s growing perceptual and cognitive skills

• Bowlby’s four phases

The Growth of Attachment

Developmental profile

By about 7 months:• Infants have identified a single attachment figure• Usually first attach to mothers, then to fathers• Prefer to play with fathers, but prefer mothers for

comfort

The Quality of Attachment

Ainsworth• Types• Positive consequences of secure attachment• Influence of predictable, responsive parenting • Impact of child care and maternal

characteristics • Influence of environmental contexts and events

The Quality of Attachment

Factors determining attachment quality• Positive parent-child interactions

• Internal working models of infant and parent

• Caregiver sensitivity for developing secure environment

The Quality of Attachment

Consequences of attachment quality• Attachment is first social relationship and base

for all following social relationships

• Secure attachment outcomes

• Disorganized attachment outcomes