UNIT-1

INTRODUCTION
■ The infancy stage is the first year of life. It infant is the most important
occurs from one month to the end of the developmental process.
first year. The infancy stage is
■ Socio-emotional development is affected
characterized by rapid growth and
by adult-infant interaction.
development, most particularly in the
socio-emotional aspect. ■ The primary caregiver, who is invariably
■ A person‘s social and personality the mother, is the most vital base of
attachment for the infant.
development is a result of a potpourri of
experiences that are influenced by his ■ Developmentally, it is during this stage
– inherited characteristics, that the infant begins to establish self-
awareness. (also, their increased
– interpersonal relationships and
awareness of others and their interest in
– the opportunities and demands of the the human face.)
socio cultural milieu in which the
person grows up. ■ Rudimentary social interaction is
developed as the infant begins to explore
■ Experiences and behavior patterns the physical world.
developed in infancy are crucial to life-long
development. ■ This period of life witnesses the
establishment of foundations of future
■ During infancy the relationship and emotional stability and intellectual
interaction between the caregiver and the development.
■ Emotions serve important function in behaviors.
relationships, and social relationships
■ In turn, the infant responds to
provide the setting for the
parents‘ behaviors. These reciprocal
development of a rich variety of
behaviors build upon each other and
emotions.
make up the attachment
■ The early socialization skills that are relationship.
developed in infancy serve as the
■ Healthy attachment is vital for socio-
basis for all social development for
emotional development of a child.
the rest of the person‘s life.
■ From the start, infants eagerly
■ Emotional development involves not
explore their world and that includes
only the expression of feelings, but
themselves and other people(ex
also the ability to interact with
sucking fingers, exploring).
others, especially the primary
caregivers or parents, in a reciprocal ■ As socio emotional beings, infants
way that is referred to as attachment show a strong interest in the social
and bonding. world and are motivated to
■ An emotionally competent infant understand it.
quickly develops a repertoire of
behaviors that engage parents to
respond with nurturing, care giving
■ By 2- to 3-months of age, infants respond differently to people than objects,
showing more positive emotion to people than inanimate objects.
■ Before infants acquire speech, parents and infants communicate through
emotion.
■ Face-to-face interactions between infant and adults are bidirectional and
mutually regulated.
1. Crying is the infant‘s most important mechanism for communication.
a. Basic cry – rhythmic pattern, briefer silence, shorter inspiratory whistle, rest,
another round.
b. Anger cry – basic cry variation, + excess air forced through vocals
c. Pain cry – loud, long initial cry -> extended period of breath holding.
2. Smiling
a. Reflexive smile - appears during the first month, usually during sleep.
b. Social smile - Between six and ten weeks, includes cooing and mouthing.
This brings about a mutually reinforcing pattern in which both the infant and the
other person gain pleasure from the social interaction.
c. As infants become more aware of their environment, smiling occurs in a wider
variety of contexts. They may smile when they see a toy they have previously
enjoyed. They may smile when receiving praise for accomplishing a difficult task.
Smiles such as these, like the social smile, are considered to serve a
developmental function.
■ Around 3 to 6 months of age, infants are more likely to initiate social
interaction.
■ They begin to play peek-a-boo, pay attention to own name and smile
spontaneously and laugh loudly.
■ Laughter, which begins at around 3-4 months, requires a level of cognitive
development because it demonstrates that the child can recognize
incongruity.
■ As it fosters reciprocal interactions with others, laughter promotes social
development.

■ During the last half of the first year, infants begin expressing fear, disgust,
and anger because of the maturation of cognitive abilities.
By 2-3 months infants respond differently to people than objects, showing more
positive emotion to people than inanimate objects. (crying and
smiling are basic communication interactions.)
Around 3 to 6 months of infants are more likely to initiate social interaction. (begin to play
age peek-a-boo, pay attention to own name and smile spontaneously
and laugh loudly)
Around 6-12 months of infants begin expressing fear, disgust, and anger because of the
age maturation of cognitive abilities.
ATTACHMEN
T
■ Attachment is a close emotional bonding between infant and caregiver. It
implies developing an emotional and physical relationship with primary care
giver during first year of life.
■ Attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby, focuses on the close,
intimate, emotionally meaningful relationship that develops between infants
and their mothers or primary caregivers.
■ This ―attachment is described as a biological system that evolved to ensure
the survival of the infant.
■ Attachment behavior is evoked whenever the person is threatened or
stressed and involves actions to move toward the person(s) who create a
sense of physical, emotional, and psychological safety for the individual.
■
■ John Bowlby (1907 - 1990) was a psychoanalyst (like Freud) and
believed that mental health and behavioral problems could be
attributed to early childhood.
■ Bowlby’s evolutionary theory of attachment suggests that children
come into the world biologically pre-programmed to form attachments
with others, because this will help them to survive.
■ Bowlby suggested that a child would initially form only one
attachment and that the attachment figure acted as a secure base for
exploring the world.
■ The attachment relationship acts as a prototype for all future social
relationships so disrupting it can have severe consequences.
 less distress when the object of
their attachment leaves, especially
if they are in an unfamiliar
environment

pleasure when reunited with that

explore an unfamiliar environment if