The First Two Years: Psychosocial Development Flashcards
Social Smile
A smile evoked by a human face, normally first evident in infants about six weeks after birth.
separation anxiety
clinging and crying when a familiar caregiver is about to leave. Some separation anxiety is normal at age 1, may be more intense by age 2, and then usually subsides.
stranger wariness
fear of unfamiliar people, especially when they move too close, too quickly
self- awareness
the realization that one’s body, mind, and activities are distinct from those of other people.
9- to 24-month-olds looked into a mirror after a dot of rouge had been surreptitiously put on their noses. If they reacted by touching the red dot on their noses, that meant they knew the mirror showed their own faces.
temperament
Inborn differences between one person and another in emotions, activity, and self-regulation. It is measured by the person’s typical responses to the environment.
temperamental traits (e.g., shyness and aggression) arise from genes
Synchrony
A coordinated, rapid, and smooth exchange of responses between a caregiver and an infant
a caregiver who laughs in response to their infants giggling sound and tickles them, is experiencing synchronised interaction.
still face to face technique
An experimental practice in which an adult keeps their face unmoving and expressionless in face-to-face interaction with an infant.
attachment
the connection between one person and another, measured by how they respond to each other
secure attachment
feel comfortable and confident. The caregiver is a base for exploration, providing assurance and enabling discovery.
for example, scramble down from the caregiver’s lap to play with an intriguing toy but periodically look back and vocalize (contact-maintaining), or bring the toy to the caregiver for inspection (proximity-seeking).
insecure-avoidant attachment
Some insecure children play independently without seeking contact; this is insecure-avoidant attachment
insecure-resistant/ambivalent attachment
preoccupied with their mothers’ presence, often unable to leave their sides even in light of curious attempts to explore their new environment.
disorganized attachment
Type D infants may suddenly switch from hitting to kissing their mothers, from staring blankly to crying hysterically, from pinching themselves to freezing in place.
Strange situation
The Strange situation is a standardized observational procedure involving short separations and reunions between an infant and his caregiver.
social referencing
Seeking information about how to react to an unfamiliar or ambiguous object or event by observing someone else’s expressions and reactions. That other person becomes a social reference.
allocare
the care of children by alloparents, caregivers who are not the mother.
examples:
fathers and grandmothers provide substantial allocare.
