Lecture 9: Social Development 1

Question 1

ethology

Answer 1

the study of the behavior of different species in their natural environment and the evolution of this behavior.

Question 2

attachment theory

Answer 2

developed by Bowlby and Ainsworth based on ethology. the attachment theory looks at how attachment helps us adapt to the environment

Question 3

attachment

Answer 3

a strong affective relationship that binds a person to an intimate partner. it is also a behavioral system whereby people regulate their emotions when they are threatened and seek safety

Question 4

oxytocin

Answer 4

a hormone that triggers parental feeling and stimulates bonding

Question 5

internal working models

Answer 5

children develop internal working models based on the attachment relationships and interactions they have with their caregiver. these working models are cognitive representation of themselves and other people, which help to interpret social information and guide behavior

Question 6

peer

Answer 6

a peer is a socially equal person who behaves similarly; often this person is the same age

Question 7

chumships

Answer 7

the friends we have as children

Question 8

synchronous routine

Answer 8

after birth, parents and babies develop a synchronous routine, in which the parents and the child take turns responding to each other

Question 9

non-discriminatory social responsiveness (stage 1 of bonding of babies)

Answer 9

from birth until the child is 2-3 months old, the child is very responsive to voices, faces and other social stimuli

Question 10

distinctive social responsiveness (stage 2 of bonding of babies)

Answer 10

from 2-3 months to 6-7 months, babies begin to show a preference for familiar faces, they show biggest smiles and babble most enthusiastically when these people are around. they are also friendly to strangers

Question 11

active proximity seeking, or real bonding (stage 3 of bonding of babies)

Answer 11

from 6-7 months to about 3 years, babies form their first bonding relationships. children follow their mothers, protesting when the mother leaves and welcoming when she returns. soon babies also become attached to other people, such as fathers, grandparents, brothers, sisters or a babysitter

Question 12

goal-corrected partnership (stage 4 of bonding of babies)

Answer 12

from the age of 3 children can participate in goal-corrected relationships, knowing their parents’ plans and adjusting their behavior accordingly. the child understands that the parent has to go away to work and waits for them to come back

Question 13

seperation anxiety

Answer 13

the child becomes restless and anxious when they are away from their caregiver. peaks between 14-18 months

Question 14

fear of strangers

Answer 14

children react to the approach of an unknown person

Question 15

secure attachment (Ainsworth’s strange situation test)

Answer 15

about 60% of children are securely attached. they use their mother as a safe base to explore the toys that are present in the room. then the mother leaves, the children can become very stressed. the most important thing is that when the mother returns, the baby is happy

Question 16

resistant attachment (anxious or ambivalent attachment) (Ainsworth’s strange situation test)

Answer 16

about 10% of the children show resistant attachment. this is an insecure attachment characterized by fearful and ambivalent reactions. the child shows much fear and stress when separated, had ambivalent emotions when the parent returns and is inconsolable

Question 17

avoidant attachment (Ainsworth’s strange situation test)

Answer 17

about 15% of the children are avoidantly attached. the child shows no fear of separation and shows little emotion when the parent returns

Question 18

disorganized/disoriented attachment (Ainsworth’s strange situation test)

Answer 18

about 15% of the children have a disorganized attachment. there is a strong abnormal reaction to the return of the mother

Question 19

what influences quality of attachment?

Answer 19

• behavior of parent
• temperament of baby
• social and cultural context

Question 20

intellectual skills (securely vs insecurely attached)

Answer 20

safely attached children are more curious, more involved in classroom activities and want to learn more than unsafely attached children

Question 21

social competence (securely vs insecurely attached)

Answer 21

children who are securely attached show more leadership in play activities, are more sensitive to other children’s feelings, are more popular, and socially more competent. they show good social skills and positive internal working models

Question 22

emotion regulation (securely vs insecurely attached)

Answer 22

secure attachment is linked to good emotion regulation and good coping skills. this in turn, is linked to fewer emotional and behavioral problems

Question 23

social play

Answer 23

activities become more social, going through different phase
- solitary play
- parallel play
- associative play
- cooperative play

Question 24

solitary play

Answer 24

children play alone, often with objects and toys, and they are very involved with what they are doing

Question 25

parallel play

Answer 25

children play next to someone else, often doing the same thing but interacting a little

Question 26

associative play

Answer 26

children interact by exchanging material, talking to each other or following each other’s lead, but they do not have the same goal

Question 27

cooperative play

Answer 27

children join forces to achieve a common goal, such as making a large drawing together

Question 28

imaginative play

Answer 28

the first play begins around the age of 1, when children pretend to drink from a cup or eat something and make loud smacking noises. this grows from 2 to 5 years of age and they eventually develop social pretend play

Question 29

social pretend play

Answer 29

involves children working together with friends to mimic something, such as playing mum and dad

Question 30

rule games

Answer 30

when children go to school, they show less do-as-you-please play. children are part of a group, and they have to keep to the rules. they also develop individual hobbies

Question 31

sociometric techniques

Answer 31

peer acceptance is important for playing and interacting with other children. researchers study peer group acceptance with sociometric techniques, mapping who is and who is not accepted in a group

Question 32

popular (social category)

Answer 32

they are liked a lot and hardly ever disliked

Question 33

rejected (social category)

Answer 33

they are liked very little and disliked a lot

Question 34

ignored (social category)

Answer 34

they are not judged as nice or not nice, they seem invisible

Question 35

controversial (social category)

Answer 35

they are liked by many but also disliked by many

Question 36

average (social category)

Answer 36

they are in the middle of the nice and not nice scales

Question 37

sociometric popularity

Answer 37

being liked by many peers

Question 38

perceived popularity

Answer 38

being seen as having status, power and visibility

Question 39

Dunphy’s five steps in which peer relationships can be the basis for romantic relationships

Answer 39

• in late childhood, boys and girls are a part of a clique, a small group of friends, where they only associate with each other and not with the opposite sex
• boy cliques and girl cliques begin to interact with each other. these cliques form a sage basis for romantic relationships. boys go with the whole group to a group of girls, so that they dare to talk to each other
• in early adolescence, the most popular boys and girls create a heterosexual clique
• less popular teenagers also form mixed cliques, creating a new peer group structure: a crowd. this is a collection of heterosexual cliques with similar characteristics where, among other things, parties are organized so that the teenagers will talk to those of the opposite sex
• more and more couples form and the crowd falls apart. the goal has been achieved: boys and girls have been brought together

Question 40

Brown’s four stages of adolescent romantic relationships

Answer 40

• initiation phase
• status phase
• affection phase
• bonding phase

Question 41

initiation phase

Answer 41

in early adolescence, the focus is on yourself, finding out that you can enter into a romantic relationship. this is the time of much infatuation and awkwardness

Question 42

status phase

Answer 42

in middle adolescence, approval from peers is important. if you have a romantic relationship, especially with the right person, it is good for your status in the larger peer group

Question 43

affection phase

Answer 43

in late adolescence, the focus is on the relationship itself, rather than on self-concept or peer status. romantic relationships become personal and loving

Question 44

bonding phase

Answer 44

in the transition to emerging adulthood, emotional intimacy is obtained. this goes hand in hand with a long-term commitment to a lasting relationship

Question 45

proximity seeking behavior

Answer 45

the need to make contact with an attachment figure

Question 46

Bowlby’s bonding development stages

Answer 46

• pre hugging phase (0-3 months): there is no obvious attachment yet, but the baby already smiles back, which is called the social smile
• attachment formation (4-6 months): possible slight preference for primary caregiver
• focused attachment (from 7/8 months): there is a preference for the primary caregiver and a fear of strangers that peaks at the age of 1 to 2 years

Question 47

3 aspects on how children become securely attached

Answer 47

• sensitive parenting: this consists of a well-timed responsiveness of the parent to the emotions and needs of a child
• intergenerational transmission: this looks at whether the parent is securely attached and has the same attachment genes
• matching the needs of children with support from the environment

Question 48

gender schema theory

Answer 48

children select certain activities that belong to their gender when they understand which category they belong to