Social DevelopmentSocial DevelopmentSocial DevelopmentSocial Development

What is Social development?

•Involves the ways in which infants and children relate to each other.

Social DevelopmentIncludes• Attachment• Parenting• Self-esteem

Attachment• Emotional ties that form between

people.• Essential to survival especially

infants

Stranger Anxiety• A fear of

strangers• About 8 months

Separation Anxiety• Causes infants

to cry or behave in ways of distress if their mother or primary caregiver leaves them.

Contact Comfort• Remember Harry Harlow?• The instinctual need to touch and

be touched by something soft. • Harlow concluded the need for

contact is stronger than the need for food.

• Gives a sense of security

Imprinting• The process by which some animals

form immediate attachments during a critical period.

• Konrad Lorenz acquired a family of goslings because he was present at birth and he was the first moving object they saw.

Secure Attachment• Primary caregivers are

affectionate, reliable• Children are happier, friendlier and

get along better with others• Less likely to misbehave

Insecure attachment• Caregivers are unresponsive and

unreliable• Children are less cooperative• Little or no effort to make contact

with caregivers

Vs.

Styles of Parenting

Strict

Warm

Permissive

ColdMost Paren

ts

Demanding

Possessive

Controlling

Dictatorial

Supportive

protective

affectionate

flexible

caring

Neglecting

indifferent

careless

detached

Lenient

democratic

inconsistent

overindulgent

Authoritative• Means with authority• Warm with positive kinds of

strictness• Children usually are more

independent, and higher self esteem

Authoritarian• Favoring unquestionable

obedience• Parents often are rejecting and

cold• Children may be less friendly, and

do not do as well in school.

Self Esteem• Value or worth people place on

themselves• Protects people from stress and

struggles with life• Authoritative parents• Secure attachment

Unconditional Positive Regard

• Parents love and accept children for who they are-no matter how they behave

• High self esteem

Conditional Positive Regard

• Parents show their love only when children behave in certain acceptable ways

• Low self esteem• Continue to seek approval from

others.

Gender & Self-esteem• Ages 5-7, children value

themselves based on physical appearance and performance in school

• Self-fulfilling prophecy-live up to the expectation

Age and Self-esteem• Declines during elementary school• Lowest at 12-13• How they see themselves is not

how others may see them• Compare themselves to their

peers