UNIT 10 SOCIO-EMOTIONAL

DEWLOPMENT : THE
EARLY RELATIONSHIPS

Structure
10.1 Introduction
10.2 The Early Interactions
10.2.1 Behaviours of the Caregivers
10.22 Abilities and Behaviours of the Infant

10.3 Development of Attachment

10.4 Learning to Trust
10.5 Emotional Expressions
10.5.1 Stranger Anxiety
105.2 Separation Anxiety

10.6 Day Care for Children

10.7 Role of Heredity and Environment
10.8 Interrelationship among Various Areas of Development
10.9 Summing Up
10.10 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

10.1 INTRODUCTION
In Unit 7 we had briefly touched upon the socio-emotional aspects qf the infant's
development where there was a mention of love and nurturance as essentials of care.
You are aware that the term 'social' refers to that aspect of development concerned
with human interactions. In early social relationships, emotions such as love, delight
and distress come into play. These two aspects of development, social and emotional,
generally occur together and are studied under the head of 'socio-emotional
development'.

In this Unit we will read about the social and emotional experiences of the child up
to one year of age. How does the infant form a relationship with the parents? Why is
a supportive and well-adapted relationship between the child and parents important?
When does the infant show an interest in other children? How does the baby learn to
trust others and communicate her affection towards them? You will read about such '

aspects in this Unit.

Objectives
After studying this Unit, you will be able to
descriie those behaviours of the caregiver and infant that promote social
interaction and attachment -
Explain how the attachment bond forms between the caregiver and the infant
understand the importance of develo)ing trust in the caregivers
state the meaning of terms 'stranger anxiety' and 'separation arkiety'
describe the emotional expressions of the infant
describe how heredity and environment influence sooial and emotional
development.
 Socio-EmotionalDevelopment:
10.2 THE EARLY INTERACTIONS The Early Relationships

The newborn needs consistent care and nurturance from a person if she is to survive.
She communicates her feelings and needs t o the people who look after her and, in
turn, reacts to their responses. It may seem surprising that an infant who does not
talk and may not even smile in the first few weeks has social skills to interact with
people. The adults too must be able to attract the baby's attention and they do so
effectively. Thus the caregiver and the infant have behaviours that will help them in
interaction with each other and enable them to develop a bond with each other. Let
us read about these behaviours in detail.

10.2.1 Behaviours of the Caregivers

I

Most of us display specific kinds of behaviour while interacting with infants. These
hehaviours usually bring forth a response from the baby. Even children as'young as
four years of age seem to know how to attract a baby's attention.

Physical Contact :Infants and older children have an inborn need for physical
contact. In fact, touch is crucial in the development of the emotional bond between
the caregiver and the child. Babies must be held not only in the course of routine
c feeding, bathing and changing clothes, but also be picked up and cuddled for sheer
!
pleasure. When the mother holds the infant in her arms, the baby feels secure. This
can be seen clearly from the infant's behaviour. She may get frightened by a loud
P noise when alone, but remains undisturbed by a similar noise when in the arms of the
I mother.

Speech :When we talk with the infant, we tend to use 'baby talk!~~Thisis a very
i specific form of speech not used with an older child, say a two-year-old. Baby talk has
I
very short sentences, simple words, certain modulations of voice and nonsense
sounds such as clucking noises. You must have observed that even children as young
as four and five years old use baby talk with the infant. This type of utterance delights
the infant and she usually responds by cooing or babbling. As you know, such an
interaction helps t o build an emotional bond between the infant and the caregiver.

Smiling :A smile initiates a social relationship. We smile when we wish to

communicate warmth, acceptance and recognition. Most people smile when
communicating with the infant, even if she does not smile in return. Gradually, the
smile of the caregiver becomes a signal for the infant to smile back, t o express delight
and to begin cooing and babbling.
The Child :Development in Facial Expressions :Almost all adults and children while interacting with the baby
the First Twelve Months
exaggerate their facial expressions. Sometimes they show mock-surprise by raising
the eyebrows, wrinkling the forehead, opening the mouth and smiling widely. The
baby usually smiles at this expression. At other times, the adults show mock-anger or
pleasure. When not wanting to communicate with the infant, they keep their
expression neutral. The child learns to discriminate t3e various emotional
expressions and to understand when the adult is intending t o maintain, end or avoid
a social interaction.
Gazing :While talking to a person we normally look a t him or her. Looking away
from the person may be a signal that we wish to terminate the contact. This
eye-to-eye-contact is the basis of all direct communication. Caregivers normally gaze
at the infant while interacting with her and while taking care of her routine needs.
Initially the infant may look at the mother only occasionally and is able to hold her
gaze for only a few seconds. Gradually, she is able t o look at her for longer periods.
This mutual gazing is most important in establishing a link between the two and is
one of the first forms of socio-emotional interaction.
You know that the newborn sees things most clearly when they are at distance of
eight to ten inches from her face. The distance between the infant's eyes and the
mother's face during feeding is usually about eight inches. Most of us while playing
with the baby maintain this distance. Thus it seems that our natural posture and body
movements help in developing an emotional bond with the baby.
Movements and Rhythms :When we play with an infant we nod, shake our head
from side-to-side or bring it forward. These head movements serve to maintain the
attention of the infant. During a game of 'peek-a-boo' with the baby, the mother
hides her face behind her hands and then uncovers it again. This is one of the
all-time favourite infant games played by caregivers across cultures.
Some sounds and movements that caregivers make are soothing to babies, probably
because they are like the movements they experienced in the womb. You may have
noticed that people in most cultures usually hold the baby on the left side. In this
position the baby can feel the beat of the heart-a rhythm which she has heard in the
womb-and usually calms down if she is crying. Rocking, swaying and similar rhythmic
motions are also soothing to her. When the baby is soothed, it is gratifying for the
mother. She feels that she is handling the infant well. This srrengthe'ns her affectionate
feelings towards the child.
Thus you see how the behaviours of the adults contribute towards developing a social
relationship and an emotional bond with the infant.

Check Your Progress Exercise 1

1) List in the space provided .below the six behaviours of caregivers that help in
attracting the infant's attention and serve to maintain social interaction.

2) Read the following statements carefully and indicate in the brackets whether
they are correct or incorrect.
a) We do not exaggerateour facial expressionswhile talking to the infant. ( )
b) Rhythmic motions are not soothing t o the baby. ( 1
c) Adults as well as children tend to use 'baby talk' when talking with infa@. )
d ) Looking a t the different expressions o n the cari;givsr9s face, the
infant learns to discriminate various emotions and t o understand
when the adult is intending t o maintain, end o r avoid a social
interaction. ( 1
e) The mutual gazing of mother and child is one of the most powerful means
of establishing contact. ( 1
 Socio-Emotional Development:
0.2.2 Abilities and Behaviours of the Infant The Early Relationships
We have just discussed how caregivers devise ways of communicating with infants.
Infants also initiate behaviour t o make social contact. These are gazing, crying,
smiling, babbling and imitation. Besides these, the infant's sensory abilities also help
in interaction. Let us read about the abilities and behaviours of the infant that help
her to develop a relationship with people around her.

Sensory Abilities

You have read about the sensory capacities of the newborn and the infant in Units 7
and 9. Let us see how they help in social relationships. You know that the newborn is
responsive to the human voice and can tell her mother's voice from other female
voices as early as the first week of life. A crying baby often becomes calm at the
sound of the parent's voice, particularly the mother's, without even being picked up.
Because of this ability of the infant t o attend t o speech, adults use speech as a means
of attracting the infant's attention successfully.

The infant's visual skills also help her in social interaction. You know that babies
like to look a t the faces of people. Gazing, as you know, promotes social interaction.
Gradually, the infant learns to discriminate the mother from others on the basis of
her face, smell and sound and reacts differently to her than to other people. The
infant's ability to recognize the parents is very important from their perspective. It
makes them feel that the infant is responding to them specifically. They feel loving
towards the child and this, in turn, strengthens their nurturing and caregiving
activities. Gradually the infant begins to recognize her grandparents, brothers and
sisters and other people in the house. There is a n increase in the number of people
she knows.

You know that by six months of age, most infants are able to discriminate the
different emotional expressions such as delight, anger or fear. This emerging ability
of ihe infant is important for two reasons. Firstly, by looking at the parent's face 6he
is able t o make out their reaction to an object, event or person and this helps her t o
judge its value, importance and desirability. You would have seen, for example,
when the infant is offered a new toy, she usually looks at the mother. If her
expression conveys fear, the infant will leave the toy and move towards her. Secondly,
by learning to understand facial expressions, the baby is beginning to interpret
movements and expressions. One of the first tasks in social interaction is to
understand what people are thinking and feeling. By discriminating the different
expressions of the face, the infant is acquiring the important skill of 'reading' people.
Through her interactions in the early months, she strengthens and develops this skill
further and is able t o respond to subtle cues.

Behvviours

Let us now read about the infant's behaviours which also play a very important role
in attracting adult attention and prolonging it.

i) Gazing and Smiling : You have read that when the newborn begins to fix her
gaze on the face of the caregiver, a relationship develops between the two. The
infant practises eye-to-eye contact from the first week of life.

We are all familiar with the sight of a newborn smiling in her sleep. This type of
smile is in response to the brain's internal activity. During the first month the
infant also smiles if she hears high pitched sounds. These smiles are not directed
at people and are not necessarily indicators of warmth or social awareness.

It is between two and a half to three months of age that the infant begins to
smile a t people. Smiling, like crying, is a n early means of communication. Now
the smile becomes social, i.e. a human face accompanied by human voice k u s e s
the infant to smile. In the beginning, babies smile readily at the sight of all
human faces-familiar o r unfamiliar. Then they smile more at familiar than at
strange faces. The baby's social smile accompanied by gazing is pleasing to the
) The Child :Development in caregivers. They feel contented and proud and increase their protective
the First Twelve Months
behaviours towards her. They smile back, talk t o and cuddle the infant. In fact a
serious, irritable baby may not evoke the same attention from adults. When the
adults smile and gaze in return to the infant's smile, it tells her that she can have
a n effect o n people. Thus long before the baby can talk, she has discovered a
means to communicate. She has learnt that a smile can get her many .
things--cuddles, talk, play or a toy.

ii) crying :Crying is the main way by which the infant attracts help and care.
Crying brings the adult to her side more quickly than any other behaviour.
Depending upon what the caregiver thinks the child needs, she may feed her,
change her dress or pick her up.

Early in life babies cry mainly when they are hungry or wet o r in pain. Later, by
about six months of age, the infant uses crying as a means of directing the
adults' attention to her even when she is not in distress. She cries because she is
bored and wants to be picked up o r talked to. Thus she uses crying to elicit a
social response from the caregivers. By one year, the total amount of crying
decreases by almost fifty per cent of what it was at three months. THis gives the
infant and parents more time for positive social behaviours such as gazing,
smiling, babbling and imitation.

Responding to the infant's cry is important because it helps to foster a feeling of

trust in her. The child feels sure that if s h e is in distress somebody will come to
her. This helps her to develop a sense of trust. Parents who are sensitive and
responsive to the child's crying have children who cry less. You will read more
abollt the development of trust in the latter part of this Unit.

iii) Cooing and Babbling : Once the infant begins to coo and babble, the interaction
between her and the people increases dramatically. When the baby imitates
sounds, it makes adults around her want to play with her and their 'dialogues'
become more varied.

iv) Imitation :Around one year of age, infants also imitate certain other
behaviours. They may copy blinking of the eyes, certain rocking movements of
the body or other gestures. When the infant mimics o r copies an action, the
adult produces more behaviours that the infant can imitate, thus prolonging
the social interaction. Such social interactions are natural as well as healthy
for the infant's socio-emotional development. The infant is likely to imitate
those with whom she has formed an emotional attachment.
The above discussion indicates that the child is prepared from birth onwards
for relating to people. Communicating with people gives the infant a chance to
practise and refine social skills She already has and to develop new ones. After
having read this section can you identify the social skills the infant displays?
They are--turn-taking, smiling, recognizing people and understanding the
meaning of facial expressions and body movements.

Check Your Progress Exercise 2

1) Answer the following questions briefly in the space provided below.

a) How do the infant's sensory abilities aid in social interaction and help her
to form a bond with caregivers?
 List the social skills that the infant acquires and refines during the first Socio-Emotional Developmemt:
b) The Early RelatlonsLlpe
year of life.

c) How does being able to discriminate the different emotional expressions

on the caregiver's face help the child?

2) Read the following9~tementscarefully and write in the brq~ketswhether they

are correct o r incorrect:
a) When the infant gazes a t the mother, the latter feels strongly
affectionate towards the child and this strengthens the emotional 5 n d
between them. ( 1
b) It is not important to respond to the child's cry. ( )
c) The social smile emerges at one month of age. ( 1
d) ?he infant's smile accompanied with her gazing is very effective in
maintaining contact with adults and in promoting social interaction.( )
e) The infant's babbling and her ability tca'imitate usually bring forth a
response from adults. ( 1

10.3 DEVELOPMENT OF ATTACHMENT

In the earlier section we have spoken about the behavinurs and the abilities of the
infant and the caregivers that help them in interacting with each other. But how does
a relationship between the infant and the caregiver actually develop from day to day?
Let us read about this aspect now.
From the first time the mother holds the baby and gazes at her, a communication
begins between the two. In fact, it is believed that an initial bondmay be formed
between them in,the first few hours after birth, since many newborns are alert and
can make eye contact in this period. This also gives a sense of well-being to the
newborn. It is generally recommended that the baby be given to the mother
immediately after birth. Subsequently, during the caregiving activities of feeding,
bathing and putting the baby to sleep, their relationship strengthens. But what is it
about these caregiving activities that promotes attachment? Let us look a t the
interaction during a typical feeding situation to understand this.

When the baby is hungry, the mother picks her up and feeds her. The infant feels the
touch of the mother's body and hears her voice. Before and after feeding, the mother
talks to, the baby, plays with her and tickles her. Thus along with satisfying the
infant's hunger, the mother also provides physical contact and social stimulation (by
smiling, talking and playing) which is the basis for developing mutual affection.
Through similar interactions every day, an affectional bond, called attachment, forms
between them. Attachment is an emotional bond between two people and, in this
case, refers to the bond between the mother and the infant. Infants become attached
to people who take care of them. In most cases it is the mother who primarily looks
after the baby and the infant usually becomes attached to her. This is the infant's first
social relationship.
The Chi'd : in If the feeding situation is not warm and pleasant, attachment to the caregiver may
the First Months
not occur. If the mother is tense, holds the baby awkwardly or handlcs her roughly,
the baby will associate discomfort with the mother's presence. When such painful
experiences occur often, the infant may become anxious during feeding time. If other
experiences of the baby with the mother are also not happy, she will become irritable.
You have read about children living in institutions. Their physical needs are
generally fulfilled but emotional interaction with adults is missing. You know that i n
such cases children are not able to form attachments. Thus we see that attachment is
a two-way process and the behaviour of the infant and the caregivers contribute
towards it.

At this juncture it is important to restate one point. The infant does not form an
attachment with the mother simply because physical needs are met. More important
than this is the close contact with the mother and the social stimulation that creates
,
an emotional bond. Parents who consistently respond in a loving and nurturing
manner to the child seem to make the child feel emotionally secure. Such parents are
warm in handling babies-they smile more often, touch the infant lovingly and use
their voices in expressive ways. In contract, when caregivers avoid the baby, do not .
initiate physical contact and are inconsistent in their responses (at times loving and
at times avoidant), the child does not form a secure attachment.

How do we know that an attachment exisls between the infant and the adult? Infants
show their attachment to peoplc by seeking their attention andiby trying to gain their
approval and affection. They become upset when separated from those they love.
They approach these adults for comfort when distressed and are soothed by them.
lnfants also look to these peoplc for encouragement, smile more at them and explore
their surroundings confidently when these people are present. In a new situation or
when-confronted with a new object, thc child first looks at the adult, with whom she
has developed attachment, to see how she is reacting, i.e. she uses this person for
clues about a new situation. A secure infant smiles more, cries less, is ready to
explore and does not cling to the mother fearfully all the lime.

Attachment to the Father: In the Unit while describing the emotional relationships, we
have spoken mostlyabout the mother. In general, the mother is the most important
person in the infant's life. But what about the father? The father has an equally
important role to play. He is just as capable of caring for the baby as the mother-he can
be just as nurturing, responsive and sensitive. If the father interacts with the baby right
from birth and spends time playing with her and looking after her, the baby develops
strong emotional bonds with the father as well.
 SOciO-Emotional Developnlnlt':
Forming More Relationships: ~ f t e this
r first strong bond with one o r two persons, The Early Relationships
the baby gradually forms more relationships. By the end o f the first year, she forms
emotional bonds k i t h other people in the family such as grandparents. sisters,
brothers, aunts and uncles-all those persons who play an important role in caring
for her. If there are children around, those a few years older than the infant will get
along with her much better than those close to her age. The older ones will be
iolcrant of her, while her agcmates would be unable to play cooperatively. Older
children play with the infant readily and delight in doing simple caregiviag activities.

When the infant receives nurturant care from several caregivers apart from the
parents, she also learns to [rust other people early in life. Socially she has a wider
sphere of familiar individuals and this has a beneficial influence on her social
development.

10.4 LEARNING TO TRUST

The reason why we have spoken about attachment in detail is that it is important for
the infant to form a secure attachment with the primary caregiver. When the child
experiences affection consistently, she develops a feeling of trust. Developing trust
and a sense of security is important since it influences later behaviour to a
considerable extent. Let us see how.

Firstly, an infant who has experienced a warm relationship with her caregiver in the
first year of life, is likely to view other adults she comes in contact with later as safe
and friendly. Such a child finds it pleasurable to interact with people and forms
emotional ties with them. Research has shown that securely attached infants are
more social during preschool years and are more popular with peers. In contrast, an
infant who is unable to form a secure attachmentwith the mother in the first year of
life begins to mistrust peoplc. Since her first relationship has not been a rewarding
one, she may feel that other adults will also cause her distress. The feeling of mistrust
in the primary caregiver generalizes to other adults. Research has shown that when
children did not experience normal love and affection in the first few years,
particularly in the first year of life, they withdrew from social interactions, found i t
difficult to relate to people and sometimes were unable to form emotional ties at all.
O f course, a person needs to form close relationships throughout life, but the
relationship with the primary caregiver is particularly important. It has a lasting
effect on one's social and personality development.
 : in There is a link between early experiences and later behaviour, but there are
Rrat 'he've Months
individual differences in how children are affected by early experiences. Some
children may be more affected than others by the lack of love in early years.
However, human beings are resilient, i.e. they can recover from unpleasant
experiences o r deprivatiofis. It may happen that an infant abandoned early in life may
be recompensed by consistent warmth and care later on. In such a case, there may be
no permanent damage to the personality.

Secondly, developing trust influences the child's exploratory behaviour and the
quality of play. We are all familiar with the sight of a r infant moving towards a n
unfamiliar object. She picks it up, examines it and takes it back t o show it to her
mother. But this exploration requires considerable courage. The infant has to move
some distance away from the mother and it is possible that thenew object can cause
harm. She is aware of this but she still moves towards it because she trusts the
mother and uses her as a 'safe base' from where to explore the world. Infants who
feel secure will play away from the mother, glancing at her once in a while to make
sure she is still there. Later, they will go into another room o r into the open, away
from her physical presence.

By contrast, the infant who has not developed trust feels insecure and is fearful of
new situations and events. When the mother is not consistent in her care of the child,
the child is no't sure whether she will come to her help. She does not venture o r try
out new things; instead she clings to the mother. It has also been observed that
infants with secure attachment have higher self-esteem and show less aggressive
behaviour during the preschool years. They also show more empathy towards other
adults and children. Secure o r insecure attachment thus has long-term impact on thz
- personality.
child's

Once the infant begins to move around, she is often into places that are dangerous
and picks things that are harmful for her. She has to understand that some things are
forbidden. She may get into a rage when you prevent her from doing something she
wants to do. It is better to discipline thelbabygently through mock-anger and verbal 1
explanation. Hitting or slapping her is harmful. For example, if the infant insists on Can yc
going out of the door, you could say "no" first, shut the door and try to distract her. period
As a last resort you could look angry. The baby is likely t o get the cue.
,
Check Your Progress Exercise 3

1) Read the following statements carefully. Each of them is incomplete. Along

with each statement two or three choices have been given, of which one is
most appropriate. Tick (4 ) the appropriate answer to each statement.
i) Attachment between the mother and the infant is a consequence of
a) feeding the baby, bathing her and looking after her other physical needs.
b) talking, smilirtg, gazing, playing and holding the baby as well ai fulfilling
her physical needs. hand t;
increa.
ii) If the mother is tensewhile feeding the baby, holds her awkwardly o r handles
her roughly
a) the infant will connect comfort with the mother's presence and form an
object
1
attachment to her. The sir
by pivc
b) the infant would connect discomfort with the mother's presence and would and lei
become anxious and irritable. begins
iii) When the infant becomes attached to a caregiver she learns
standil
a) becomes happy when she is separated from the caregiver. suppor
b) explores the surroundings confidently when the caregiver is around. while i
does not smile at the caregiver and does not seek her affection. the 40(
c)
holds t
so betv
 S ~ c i o - E m o t i ~Develt
al
iv) Receiving nurturant care from several caregivers apart from the parents may The Early Relatic
have
a) a harmful influence on the infant's social development.
b) no influence on the infant's social development.
c) a beneficial influence on the infant's social development.

v) An infant who does not form a secure attachment with the primary caregiver
Lion 01 a) finds it pleasurable to interact with people.
and
b) learns to trust people.
c) may feel that all adults are to be avoided and withdraws from social
interaction.
2) What do you understand by the term 'attachment'?

3) Why is it important for the infant to develop a feeling gf trust in the primary
caregiver?

10.5 EMOTIONAL EXPRESSIONS

While adults have a variety of emotional expressions, this is not so in the case of
infants. In fact, the newborn does not have clearly differentiated emotions. In the
first ye;: of life the infant primarily shows two emotional states--delight and
distress. She expresses delight by smiling or laughing. Talking to the baby, tickling,
cuddling and playing with the baby are likely to delight her.

Distress is expressed mostly through crying. Unexpected loud noise or a strange

object causes fear in the infant. Stranger anxiety hnd separation anxiety, about which
you will read further, also cause distress. The baby also shows extreme anger o r rage
by crying out loudly, kicking her legs and flapping her arms. Anger at this age is
usually expressed in response to physical discomfort. Towards the end of the year
when the infant seems to be acquiring a will of her own, rage may also be expressed
as you take away a toy or separate her forcibly from her mother.

10.5.1 Stranger Anxiety

Have you ever tried approaching infants between five and twelve months of age who
are not familiar with you? If you have, the chances are that most would have shown
fear at your approach. The typical behaviour of the infant in such situations is as
follows: she studies the stranger's face for some time, then her face tightens and she
begins to cry. If the stranger leaves, the child becomes quiet. The infant is showing
stranger anxiety. This is a direct result of her attachment with the parents. Once
attached, infants become upset on seeing an unfamiliar adult. Such anxiety shows its
beginning around six months and reaches its peak between eight and twelve months,
gradually disappearing between fifteen and eighteen months.
The : in T h e infant is less likely to show fear o f the stranger (1 s h c is witb fhc' nlotllcl 01
the
course, there a r e variations in the fear response ! ~ ~ l , : n t s - - - ~ obtenl ~i r ~very icrrful.
s o m e only slightly s o and others not fearful ;;i a!!

10.5.2 Separation Anxiety

A little after infants become aware of strangers, t h e y bcgir t o devc!Oj' arlxicly about
being separated from those to whom they a r e ;~!tachtrd.You would have seen :hat
around 10 o r 11 months o f age many infants spr:ild a considcrablc time fi111::wing
parents from room t o room, making sure they arc available when ncedcd. AS1:)ng as
the parents a r e within sight, the infants will play and explore ivcn in unfamiliar
situations. But when separated from the parents, they get distressc:d. This fear is
referred to as separation anxiety. It is a t its peak around 12 to 18 ni0nth.i of age and
disappears between 20 and 24 mcmths of age.

Researchers have found certain trends in studies of intants separated from their
parents. When separated for several days the ~ n f a n l sa1 first c q and search for their
parents. When they d o not find them, they become irritable o r icthargic. Later they
may begin to behave like younger infants s o that they start creeping even though
they had learned to walk tar begin to soil clothes caven though they had learned bowei
control. Parents who leave their 8 to 24 month-old infants with others and return
after several days o r weeks may find the infants indifferent towards them. T h e infants
appear withdrawn and may not recognise their parents. If thc parents a r c lovinp, the
baby once again approaches them with warmth but may b ~ unusually . (lrrnandin g of
their attenrio'n. Fortunately, these behaviours gradually change. T h c part'nt\ s1, auld
handle the child with understanding and not with guilt o r anger.

10.6 DAY CARE FOR CHILDREN

-
Research on day care has revealed that attending a day care centre is not harmful
for the child's overall development, provided the quality of care is good. Since the
foundations for later development are laid in thc- first few years. t h e creche has to
provide a congenial environment. This depends o n the cciregivcrs at the centre and
o n the physical environment. In some creches infants a r e looker? after by two o r more
caregivers, who may come to the creche in shtfts. This may cauai wxit. problems.
Since babies prefer known faces to unknown ones, thcrc must no! b e a frcquent
change of caregivers in a day care centre.

Parents often have a fear that if they leave the child in 3 day care centre she will
become more attached to the person who looks after h c ~ Hul . this is not true.
Research has shown that infants and toddlers who go t o crcches a r e as strongly
attached to their parents as thesis v. ho stay a t homi: T1-.::\;.a',w:*ys prefer their mother
t o any day care wc3rk:-:, h(.wever loving thc latter may cc.

10.7 ROLE OF HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT

Y o u know that there arc n o i;enes for anger, leur. jc3iouV~i o r dislike, for being
friendly o r unfriendly, an cxtrnvcrt o r an intri~vcrr.C:.enc-.iaffect social development
indirectly.-There are some lemperamcntal iiffcrcn::c:, dl:ii)ng children which are
inborn. S o m e infants a r e marc irritable than otheis. hcromc upset o r distressed
easily and a r e difficult to soo!ht.. Some show a lot of bodily movement and activity
and seem restless. Snliic chikdren a r c mere social than !jthers preferring t o be with
people. Some. cry freqnently and others a r e calm. There seems to be some hereditary
basis for this. Y(!u have rcad that the int.71 sdems to be innately prepared to respond
to p e o p l e Her developing sensory capac!ties also contribute greatly to her social and
emotional development a. you h a i c read in this Unit. But it is largely her
experiences (i.e., the environment) that will determine Ihe type of person she
eventually becomes. F o r cxample, if thc infant does not receive love she will not be
able to develop trust. Artachment develops because of interactions between the baby
a n d caregivers.
 Socio-Emotional Development:
10.8 INTERRELATIONSHIP AMONG VARIOUS The Early Relationships
AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT

In this Block we have talked about the infant's accomplishments~ineach area of

development-physical, motor, cognitive, language, social and emotional. You know
from your reading of Block 1 that each area of development influences the others
and this must have become clear to you as you read the Units of this Block. Let us
briefly review this.

The maturation of the sensory organs and other parts of the body (i.e., physical
development) helps the child to acquire motor skills. Motor skills enable the infant
to explore her surroundings and thus promote cognitive development. She is also
able to do many things and to act upon the objects around her. This helps her to
develop feelings of confidence, independence and positive self-esteem. Thus physical
development also helps in social and emotional development. The maturation of the
organs for hearing and speech enables the infant to acquire language.

The development of cognition directly influences functioning in other areas. As the

baby's thought matures, she is able to handle more and more situations by herself,
which helps her to develop a positive self-concept. The acquisition of language is
very closely related to cognitive devel~pment.

The influence of social development is also visible in other areas. A positive social
relationship helps the infant to feel secure. Only when a child feels secure is she able
to direct her attention towards other aspects of the environment. Asecure infant
explores, which help her to learn a:iJ I hus fosters cognitive development. A positive
relationship with the caregiver is c-n:,ducive for language development.

As the infant acquires language. she is able to communicate with more people and is
able to do so more effectivelq. Her social sphere widens and she forms relationships
and attachments with more people. Using language the child is able to express her
thoughts, ask questions about things she does not understand and plan her actions.
This helps her to learn. Language also aids in perception and memory.

I Check Your Progress Exercise 4

! 1) Fill in the blanks in the following sentences.

a) Stranger anxiety appears around ........ months and gradually
disappears between . . . . . . . ITonrhs.
b) Separation anxiety is at the peak around.. . . . . . . months and disappears
around ........ months.

! c) The two emotional states that the newborn shows a r e . . . . . . . . . . . .and

10.9 SUMMING UP
In this Unit you have read how the infant forms relationships with people in the first
year of life. The infant needs care and nurturance if she is to survive. She effectively
elicits care from adults. She is able to communicate and interact with them. It may be
a little difficult to believe but the infant has a collection of behaviours that helps her
to attract the attention of adults. She gazes, smiles, babbles, imitates and cries-all of
which evoke adult response. Her perceptual skills are also adapted for social
interaction.

Just as infants devise ways of communication, the adults also have behaviours that
facilitate their interacrion with her. The speech of the adults, their facial expressions,
head movements, smiling and gazing draw the infant's attention.
The : in Through daily interactions during feeding, bathing, playing and talking an emotional
the Months bond forms between the mother and the child. This attachment of the infant to her
primary caregiver is her first emotiotial relationship and it has an important role to
play in the child's personality development. An infant who forms a secure
attachment with the mother trusts people and forms other attachments. An infant
who does not have a loving relationship with the caregiver in the first year of life
learns to distrust people and avoids social contact. Another reason why it is
important for the infant to develop trust is that it influences her exploratory
behaviour.

An infant who is attached to a person approaches her in distress, smiles and gazes
more at her, seeks her attention and becomes upset when separated from her.
Towards the end of the first year, the child begins to form attachments with other
people who interact daily with her such as brothers and sisters, grandparents, uncles
and aunts.

In this Unit you have also read about the emotions of the infant. The n e w b ~ r nhas
two emotional expressions4elight and distress. Other emotions like fear and anger
emerge during the first year. The infant shows stranger anxiety and separation
anxiety.

10.10 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

EXERCISES
Check Your Progress Exercise 1
b

1) The six behaviours are: speech, smiling, gazing, facial expressions, movements
and rhythms, physical'contact.

2) a) Incorrect. We do exaggerate our facial expressions while talking with the

infant.
b) Incorrect. Rhythmic motions are very soothing to the baby.
c) Correct
d) Correct
e) Correct

Check Your Progress Exercise 2

1) a) The following aspects show that the infant's sensory capacities help her in
social interaction. Infants are responsive to human voice. They prefer to '
hear speech over any other sound. They prefer to look at faces of people
and gaze at them. Gradually infants recognize caregivers which strengthens
the emotional bond between them. They are able to discriminate facial r
expressions and can take turns-skills important for social interaction.

b) The social skills are: gazing, smiling, imitating, recognizing people,

understanding the meaning of facial expressions and body movements,
turn-taking.

c) Firstly, this enables the infant to check how the adults are reacting to a new
Object, event or a person and helps her to judge its value and importance.
Secondly, she learns that body movements and expressiuns convey what the
person is feeling.
2) a) Correct
b) Incorrect. It is important to respond to the child's cry.
c) Incorrect. The social smile emerges around three months of age.
I
i

1 Socio-Emotional Developareat:
d) Correct
i e) Correct
The Early Relationships

I
Check Your Progress Exercise 3

1) i) (b)
ii) (b)
iii) (b)
'9 (c)
v) (c)
I
2) Attachment refers to the emotional bond between two people, and in this case,
between the caregiver and the chiid.
P
I Developing trust is important for two reasons. Firstly, an infant who feels
3)
secure is willing t o explore. Secondly, she feels that other adults can be trusted
and is willing to form relationships with them.
i
Check Your Progress Exercise 4

1) a) 6 months, 15 to 18 months

b) 12 to 18 months, 20 to 24 months
c) distress, delight