Lecture 9: Social Development 1 Flashcards
ethology
the study of the behavior of different species in their natural environment and the evolution of this behavior.
attachment theory
developed by Bowlby and Ainsworth based on ethology. the attachment theory looks at how attachment helps us adapt to the environment
attachment
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
oxytocin
a hormone that triggers parental feeling and stimulates bonding
internal working models
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
peer
a peer is a socially equal person who behaves similarly; often this person is the same age
chumships
the friends we have as children
synchronous routine
after birth, parents and babies develop a synchronous routine, in which the parents and the child take turns responding to each other
non-discriminatory social responsiveness (stage 1 of bonding of babies)
from birth until the child is 2-3 months old, the child is very responsive to voices, faces and other social stimuli
distinctive social responsiveness (stage 2 of bonding of babies)
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
active proximity seeking, or real bonding (stage 3 of bonding of babies)
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
goal-corrected partnership (stage 4 of bonding of babies)
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
seperation anxiety
the child becomes restless and anxious when they are away from their caregiver. peaks between 14-18 months
fear of strangers
children react to the approach of an unknown person
secure attachment (Ainsworth’s strange situation test)
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
resistant attachment (anxious or ambivalent attachment) (Ainsworth’s strange situation test)
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
avoidant attachment (Ainsworth’s strange situation test)
about 15% of the children are avoidantly attached. the child shows no fear of separation and shows little emotion when the parent returns
disorganized/disoriented attachment (Ainsworth’s strange situation test)
about 15% of the children have a disorganized attachment. there is a strong abnormal reaction to the return of the mother
what influences quality of attachment?
- behavior of parent
- temperament of baby
- social and cultural context
intellectual skills (securely vs insecurely attached)
safely attached children are more curious, more involved in classroom activities and want to learn more than unsafely attached children
social competence (securely vs insecurely attached)
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
emotion regulation (securely vs insecurely attached)
secure attachment is linked to good emotion regulation and good coping skills. this in turn, is linked to fewer emotional and behavioral problems
social play
activities become more social, going through different phase
- solitary play
- parallel play
- associative play
- cooperative play
solitary play
children play alone, often with objects and toys, and they are very involved with what they are doing
parallel play
children play next to someone else, often doing the same thing but interacting a little
associative play
children interact by exchanging material, talking to each other or following each other’s lead, but they do not have the same goal
cooperative play
children join forces to achieve a common goal, such as making a large drawing together
imaginative play
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
social pretend play
involves children working together with friends to mimic something, such as playing mum and dad
rule games
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
sociometric techniques
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
popular (social category)
they are liked a lot and hardly ever disliked
rejected (social category)
they are liked very little and disliked a lot
ignored (social category)
they are not judged as nice or not nice, they seem invisible
controversial (social category)
they are liked by many but also disliked by many
average (social category)
they are in the middle of the nice and not nice scales
sociometric popularity
being liked by many peers
perceived popularity
being seen as having status, power and visibility
Dunphy’s five steps in which peer relationships can be the basis for romantic relationships
- 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
Brown’s four stages of adolescent romantic relationships
- initiation phase
- status phase
- affection phase
- bonding phase
initiation phase
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
status phase
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
affection phase
in late adolescence, the focus is on the relationship itself, rather than on self-concept or peer status. romantic relationships become personal and loving
bonding phase
in the transition to emerging adulthood, emotional intimacy is obtained. this goes hand in hand with a long-term commitment to a lasting relationship
proximity seeking behavior
the need to make contact with an attachment figure
Bowlby’s bonding development stages
- 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
3 aspects on how children become securely attached
- 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
gender schema theory
children select certain activities that belong to their gender when they understand which category they belong to
