Social Development Infancy Flashcards
How do baby’s recognise their mother?
- mothers voice can be heard inside the womb
- infants prefer mothers voice to other females (Mehler, 1978)
- From 7 hours old babies would rather look at photos of their than a stranger with the same features (Walton & Bower, 1991)
Do babies use imitation to communicate?
Meltzoff & Moore, 1977
- babies imitate facial expressions from birth
Nagy et al, 2019, when imitating, babies don’t imitate mouth opening but they do imitate tongue out
Developing interactions with mothers and fathers.
- at 6 weeks new borns can smile to mothers face and voice
- at 3 months babies smile is synchronised with their mum
- at 2 months babies can coo and laugh
What is Joint Attention
- Between 6 an 12 months of age infants have joint attention
- Example; follow someone’s gaze (someone looks away and you look where they look)
Flom et al (2004) Joint attention study
- infants follow larger turns over smaller turns, this is especially the case when outside of the visual field
Joint attention, children’s pointing (Schaffer, 1984)
- at 1 years old pointing becomes a communicative purpose
- at 2 years old infants will point at a object then look at their parents then go back to looking at the object
What is social referencing
- children look to their caregivers for cues on how to respond
Can infants recognise different emotional expressions
7 moth olds can distinguish between happy and sad expressions (Caron et al, 1982)
Visual Cliff Study (Sorce et al, 1985)
- children are weary of the cliff
- when parents laugh and smile
Importance of attachment (Brennan and Shaver, 1998)
- attachment during infancy has implications later on with resilience and problem solving
Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory
- oral satisfaction leads to attachment with caregiver
Learning theory
- attachment as a result of caregivers being a secondary reinforcer i.e stickers and food
Cognitive development theory
- a type of attachment that happens when they have object permanence
Ethological Theory
- happens as a result of an instinct which ensures protection and survival
John Bowlby’s Theory
- explains the earliest attachment between infants and mothers using ethological principles
- mother provides a secure base for the child
John Bowlby’s Theory Attachment and Loss
- social relationship as well as physical care
- early attachments have impacts in later life
- attachment as a model of close relationships
Harlows Research
Maternal Deprivation In Monkeys:
- baby monkeys prefer ‘cloth mothers’ over ‘wire mothers’
- show affection to mothers
- more affection than feeding on milk (nursing)
Attachment Patterns
- secure attachment means healthy psychological development
- insecure attachment means abnormal behaviour later in life
Development of Bowlby’s view: nature of attachment
Attachment is usually only to one person
- fathers help the mother to be more relaxed and the best they can be which then provides a better attachment between the baby and mother
Schaffer & Emerson (1964)
- Attachment is usually to more than one person
- Weak attachment to one person could be caused by a strong attachment to another
Ainsworth (1969) , The Strange Situation
Secure attachment
Insecure Avoidant
Insecure Resistant
Insecure Disorganised
Secure:
- Cries when mother leaves the room
- Baby is comforted when mother returns to the room
- Plays happily but keeps an eye on mother
Insecure - Avoidant:
- Does not cry when mother leaves the room
- Strangers can provide comfort for baby
- When mother returns baby may look away
Insecure Resistant:
- stays close to mum and does not play
- cries when mum leaves the room and not comforted when she’s back
Insecure Disorganised:
- Confused when mum returns, cry when mum returns
- Not organised enough to deal with stress
Maintaining Attachment style
- Defining features can change for attachment
- Attachments form through infancy to childhood
- Importance shifts from availability to proximity of attachment figure
Influences on attachment quality
Caregiver factors:
- Depression
- Previous Experience
- Day care arrangements
Child Factors:
- Child temperament
Attachment and Postnatal Depression
McMahon et al (2006)
- Mothers with post natal depression are more likely to have children with a insecure attachment
- They were also more likely to have a insecure attachment style with themselves
Practical influences of Bowlby’s work
- Facilities in hospitals for parents to stay with young children
- not one model works for all children so can’t always apply the theory directly
Practical implications Full Time Childcare & Attachment
- Mothers who work differ in many ways from those who don’t
- for children in day care a lot, strange situation task is not as stressful
Differential Susceptibility Hypothesis (Belsky, 1997)
- children have different temperaments not just rearing experience i.e. daycare
- DeSchipper does not support, relationships didn’t differ on irritability
Problems with measuring attachment: Infancy
The Strange Situation:
- Doesn’t take cultural practise into account
- Doesn’t identify all children with abnormal relationships (Autism)
Questions to consider
Assess the current status of Bowlby’s theory of attachment.
