EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL

DEVELOPMENT FROM INFANCY Jyothi K.V

THROUGH ADOLESCENCE
EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Emotion – a complex psychological state with 3 distinct components
1. subjective experience
2. psychological response
3. behavioural or expressive response
 Emotions influence an individual’s adjustment in the society and determine his/her
conduct towards other individuals.
Emotions develop and undergo considerable transformations as a child grows.
EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
DURING INFANCY
Emotional element is present in the child from his birth- crying, vigorous bodily
movements
Hindrance in the fulfilment of some desire in a child leads to emotional excitation
Bridges studies concerning infant emotional states revealed that the child’s
emotions increases with the experience, but they are very changeable and unstable
Watson believed that the new born infant has 3 fundamental emotions- fear, anger
and love; and the child develops his other emotions by the mixture of these 3
example- Anger + Fear + Lack of interest = Hatred
In 6 months old child, anger and fear can be distinguished from his facial
expressions and other body positions
The mother can determine the cause of her child’s crying while another child’s
crying may not convey any meaning to her
Gradual development of emotional states is accompanied by variation in emotional
intensity as well in the later stages of infancy
example- a child who literally becomes mad when deprived of his feeding bottle at
the age 7 months, shows less violence when he has the occasion to be angry at 7
years
Parents and relatives are capable of making a child hero, a coward, an angry
irritable child
INFANT TODDLER
TEMPERAMENT
Temperament- stable individual differences in reactivity and self-regulation. Or in
other words, it is the way in which she approaches and react to the world
Longitudinal studies by Thomas and Chess in 1956 lead to discover Thomas and
Chess model of temperament-
1. Easy child (40% of sample) – quickly establishes regular routines in infancy,
cheerful, adapts easily to new experiences.
2. Difficult child (10% of sample) – irregular daily routine, slow to accept new
experiences, tends to react negatively and intensely
3. Slow-to-warm-up child (15% of sample) – inactive, shows mild reactions to
environmental stimuli, negative in mood, adjust slowly to new experiences.
DEVELOPMENT OF
ATTACHMENT
Attachment is the strong, affectionate tie we have with special people in our lives
that leads us to experience pleasure and joy when we interact with them and to be
comforted by their nearness in times of stress ( Berk,2013)
1. Psychoanalytical theory- the parental care taking activities such as feeding, that
are essential for the survival of the child are critical in attachment formation
2. Learning theory- attachment is not an innate or instinctual process, but rather
develops over time as a result of satisfying interaction with key people in the
child’s environment.
3. Ethological theory- Widely accepted theory proposed by John Bowlby in 1969.
Bowlby pointed out that feeding is not the basis for attachment. Development of
attachment is through ensuring both safety and competence which is of utmost
importance.
BOWLBY’S PHASES OF
ATTACHMENT DEVELOPMENT
According to Bowlby, the infant’s relationship with the parent begins as a set of
innate signals that call the adult to the baby’s side
1. Pre-attachment phase (birth to 6 weeks): Baby’s innate signals such as
grasping, smiling, crying, and gazing into the adults eyes, attracts the caregivers.
Babies recognizes the mother’s smell, voice and face but not yet attached to the
mother and they have no fear of strangers.
2. Attachment in the making phase (6 weeks to 6-8 months): Infants respond
differently to familiar caregivers than to stranger. They expect that the caregiver
respond when signals and begin to develop a sense of trust. But infant still does
not protest when separated from their care givers.
 3. Clear cut attachment phase (6-8 months to 18 months): attachment to
caregivers become evident. They display separation anxiety where they become
upset when the person whom they rely on leaves.
4. Formation of reciprocal relationship (18 month to 2 years and on): In this
phase, with rapid growth in representation and language by 2 years, the toddler is
able to understand some of the factors that influence parents coming and going and
to predict their return. Thus separation protests decline. As he ages, he becomes less
dependent on the care giver and more confident that the caregiver will be accessible
and responsive in times of need.
AINSWORTH’S INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN ATTACHMENT

Mary Ainsworth made a big impact on Bowlby’s attachment theory. She modified
and improved this theory by providing most famous research which explained the
individual differences of new born in attachment
They found three main types of attachments:
1.Secure attachment (70%)
2.Insecure avoidant attachment (15%)
3. Insecure resistant attachment (15%)
Ainsworth’s findings Type of attachment Separation anxiety Stranger anxiety Reunion behavior Exploration

Secure Some but easily High Enthusiastic High

soothed

Avoidant Indifferent Low Avoids contact High

Resistant Distressed High Seeks and rejects Low
FACTORS AFFECTING
ATTACHMENT SECURITY
1. Early availability of consistent caregiver
2. Quality of care giving
3. The infant characteristics
4. Family context
EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT DURING CHILDHOOD

 More influenced by friends and friend circle than the family

Child goes to school and now open to such influences as the teachers behavior and
school and class atmosphere
Manifestations of emotions becomes more specific and precise
Expresses his feelings through language
The child shows no reaction to many things that in infancy led him to react
violently. For example, fear to strangers
EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT DURING ADOLESCENCE

The time of emotional turmoil

Emotional highs and lows occur more frequently and can be related to variability of
hormone levels in this period
Most researchers conclude that such hormonal influences are small and are usually
associated with other factors such as stress, eating patterns, sexual activity and social
relationships
They are more likely to become aware of their emotional cycles such as feeling of
guilt about being angry. This new awareness may improve their ability to cope with
their emotions. (Santrock, J.W., 2007)
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
It is the ability to communicate with other people and to control our own emotions
The process of learning to communicate, share and interact with others takes many
years to develop in an individual
Social behavior varies with the age and temperament of each child
It is influenced by the place, the activity in which the child is engaged and by the
quality of the parental relations and guidance. (Strang,R ,1952)
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
DURING INFANCY
The baby first learns to respond to persons in order to satisfy his biological needs
He then learns about how he is expected to behave before he can talk (Strang.R,
1952)
According to Erickson, the babies will develop trust and love for their caregivers
because they are given adequate love and nurturing from their environment
By 2-3 month, infants are able to participate in simple social interactions with
others whereby they can coordinate their gestures and facial expressions with others
 During 2nd half of first year, they start to engage in shared activities with objects
such as toys
 During 2nd year of life, they show clear evidence of self awareness, show
empathetic and pro-social behavior towards others and become more cooperate with,
and learn more effectively from others.
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
DURING CHILDHOOD
This is the age of parallel play
2 years old children like to be with other children though they do not like
interference with their own activities
By the age of 5 years, they more frequently play together in groups
Uses language as a means of communicating his ideas and his wishes to other
people
Restricted space and inadequate play facilities increase frequency of conflict
among the preschooler
Studies conducted by Jersild and Murphy found that smallest amount of quarrelling
and aggression in the nursery school with larger outdoor playground, and the largest
amount in the nursery school located on the roof equipped with relatively few play
facilities.
Many changes in interpersonal relations occurs in the age from 6-9 years
This is self-correcting phase of development.
The school act as the laboratory for social relations
School is the first experience in group life outside the home and learns to live in 2
worlds
Social behavior in school involves keeping quiet at certain times, taking turns, not
laughing or making fun of other children’s mistakes, paying attention when someone
is talking (Strang.R, 1952)
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
DURING ADOLESCENCE
During pre-adolescent years, team spirit and group loyalties develops
They tend to avoid adult supervision
They search for an identity and seek more independence
They show interest in opposite sex and might start romantic relationships
They begin to spend more time with their friends and less time with their parents.
As a result, friends can influence a child’s behavior and thinking. This is known as
peer pressure (Strang.R, 1952)
SELF ESTEEM AND ITS
FACTORS
It is the judgments that we make about our own worth and the feelings associated
with those judgments
Whose self-esteem has never has sufficiently developed, manifest a number of
emotional ill-health (Berk, 2013)
Factors affecting self esteem are-
1. Attitude of adults towards the growing infants and children
2. Emotionally disastrous experience of the individual which affects his/her stability
3. Self-attitude also affected by the status of the group to which a person belongs
4. Individual’s role and status in the group
 Low self esteem

High self esteem

Types of self
esteem Worthiness based
self esteem
Competence
based self esteem
SELF CONTROL
Ability to control ones emotions and their desires especially in difficult situations
 It is the ability to subdue our impulses in order to achieve longer-term goals
The ability to exert self-control is typically called willpower
Toddlers shows clear awareness of caregiver’s wishes and expectations and can
obey simple requests and command
During school years, they display a flexible capacity for moral self-regulation
By 12 years and above they continues to gain in moral self-regulations (Berk,
2013)
 Meditate

Forgive
Eat
yourself
6
strategies
of self
control
Ride the Exercise
wave

Sleep
PRO-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Voluntary behavior to benefit another and includes behaviors such as helping,
sharing or providing comfort to another.
It is evident in young children but changes in frequency and in its expression with
age
Pro-social behavior that is not performed material or social reward, but based on
concern for others is usually termed as Altruism
From age 12–18 months, children begin to display pro-social behavior in presenting
and giving their toys to their parents, without being reinforced by praise
. Children's pro-social behavior is typically more centered around interest in friends
and concern for approval
adolescents begin to develop reasoning that is more concerned with abstract
principles such as guilt and positive affect (Eisenberg, 2006)
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
It is the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of
others and include 3 skills:
1. Emotional awareness
2. The ability to harness emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and
problem solving
3. The ability to manage emotions which include regulating your own emotions and
cheering up or calming down other people
 Daniel Goleman divided emotional intelligence into ‘personal’ and ‘social’
competences. Within each of these sections are a range of skills which are the
elements of emotional intelligence.
 Elements of
emotional
intelligence

Personal
Social skills
skills

Self Self-
motivation Empathy Social skills
regulation awareness
 AGGRESSION
Act directed toward a specific other person or object with intent to hurt or frighten, for which
there is a consensus about the aggressive intent of the act -Shaw et al (2000)
By the 2nd year of life, aggressive acts with 2 distinct purposes is shown by the infants
Proactive aggression- in which children act to fulfill their needs or desires and unemotionally
attack a person to achieve their goals
Reactive aggression- is an angry, defensive response to a provocation or a blocked goal and is
meant to hurt another person
Proactive and reactive aggression comes in 3 forms and they are:
Physical aggression
Verbal aggression
Relational aggression
By 6yrs, Proactive aggression declines but reactive aggression in verbal and relational forms
tends to rise on early and middle childhood.
Changes in the brain’s emotional/social network at puberty contribute to an increase in anti-
social behavior among teenagers.
 But later, this behavior decline as they achieve the skills in decision making, emotional self-
regulation and moral reasoning.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE
DEVELOPMENT OF AGGRESSION IN
EARLY YEARS
1. Individual factors- intrauterine factors, gender differences, temperament and traits
2. Disturbed family dynamics, parental characteristics, and parenting practices
3. Exposure to violence and behavioral aggression
4. Living in violent neighborhoods
5. Attachment relationships
6. Aggression related to psychiatric/medical syndromes
7. Neurodevelopmental pathways influencing self-regulation and especially impulse
control
8. Psychodynamic models
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON
THE BEHAVIOUR OF CHILDREN
PARENTING STYLE
DIVORCE
MEDIA
PEER RELATIONSHIPS
PARENTING STYLE
Authoritative child rearing: the most successful approach and involves high
acceptance and adaptive techniques
Authoritarian child rearing: low in acceptance and they exert control, command,
criticize and threaten
Permissive child rearing: warm, accepting and engage in little behavioral control
Uninvolved child rearing: low acceptance and involvement with little behavioral
control
DIVORCE
The transition from marriage to divorce leads to high maternal stress, depression
and anxiety, and to a disorganized family situations
The more parents argue and fail to provide children with warmth and consistent
guidance, the poorer children’s adjustments
About 20-25% of children from divorced families display severe problems
At the same time, reactions vary with children’s age, temperament and sex.
MEDIA
Types of medias – T.V, computer, mobile phones, internet, etc
Internet addiction disorder (IAD)- shivers, tremors, nausea and anxiety in some
addicts
Media as a mental and emotional retreat and refuge
Mind altering media apps – you tube, video games, face book, etc
Beneficial contributions of media – media-centric education, increases IQ,
communication across cultures, foster public understanding of many crucial issues
As a coin has 2 sides media is also having good and bad effects on children
NEGATIVE INFLUENCE OF
MEDIA
Playing violent video games increases aggression in them
Teenagers and youths use cell phones and social media to
communicate with their friends that have the tendencies to fall
in danger
The online friendships and romance leads to conflict with
parents and depression
Attention deficit disorder due to the exposure to the
excessively stimulating and fast paced media
Facilitate violent acts
Average no. of sleep hours per night decreases in inverse
proportion to the average no. of hours per day of internet use
Internet addiction disorder
PEER RELATIONSHIPS
Peers may facilitate each other’s anti-social behavior
Children who are competent with peers and those
who show pro-social behavior are most likely accepted
by peers
Aggressive children are often rejected by the peers
Positive peer group relations protect the child from
psychological problems