Module 14

Socio-emotional
Development of Infants
and Toddlers

Florentino, Rachelle Ann A

GFD 1B2
Learning Outcomes
Describe the Socio-emotional Development of
Infants and toddlers
Identify factors that enhances/impede the social -
emotional development of infants and toddlers
Present an abstract of other or your own research
related to the Socio-emotional Development of
infants and toddlers
Draw implications of Socio-emotional Development
concepts to child care, education and parenting
 MOTIVATION ACTIVITY
ARRANGE THE JUMBLED WORDS

EMCAHTTANT
EMPERAMETT
CENGEREME
Socio-emotional
Development
Socio-emotional Development is a
a person's ability to master one's
emotions and ability to relate to others.
The Formative Years
•It is first three years of a child that is considered important
in human development.
•Parents and other caregivers-play a significant role in the
development of infants and toddlers.
•Home and school environment-determines to a very great
extent the quality of the development of children.
Elements of Socio-
emotional Development

•Attachment
•Temperament
•The Emergence of the Moral Self
Attachment

Infants needs to establish an enduring emotional

bond characterized by a tendency to seek and
maintain closeness to a specific figure
particularly during stressful situation.
Attachment
Responsive interaction
A key to a good start in the development of a
child is timing of thecaregivers response to
the baby.
 Attachment
Einstein never used class cards"K.
Pasek, R. Golinkoff (2003)
•What is absolutely central to babies emotional well-being is not so
much feeding but the consistent involvement of caregivers.
•Children who have good attachment relationship as infantsmake
better adjustments in a number of areas in future life.
•Infants attach more than one caregiver and they are developing
emotional relationship with multiple caregivers at once.
Attachment
Even when children are in child caremore than 30
hours per week, the
family contributes more to child’s
social and cognitive well being than does the
children. Parents and caregivers help
childrenregulate their emotions by working with
them and by serving as their models.
 Temperament
A word that "captures the ways that people differ
even at birth andsuch things as their emotional
reactions activity level attention spanpersistence
and ability to regulate their emotions."

The reactivity of the infant to the environment.

Nine Different Temperament CategoriesThomas,
Chess and Birch

Secure relationships nurturing infants toddler

attachment inearly care settings
Activity level
Mood
Threshold for distress
Rhythmicity
Intensity of response
Approach withdrawal
 Activity level

Some babies are placid and or inactive. Other

babies trash about a lotand, as a toddlers, are
always on the move. At this stage, they must
bewatched carefully.
The Mood
Some babies are very smiley and cheerful.
Although securely attachedemotionally to
their teachers, others have a low-key mood
and lookmore solemn and happy.
Child's threshold for distress
•Some babies are very sensitive. They
become upset very easily
whenstressed. Other babies can more
confortambly wait when they need
afeeding or some attention.
 The rhythmicity of
children
Some babies get hungry or sleepy on a fairly
regular ang predictablebasis. Other babies at
varying times, urinate or have bowelmovements
at unpredictable times and get hungry at
different times.They are hard to put on a
"schedule."
 The intensity of
response in each baby
When a baby's threshold for distress has been reached, some
babiesacy restless. Others act cranky or fret just a little. Still
others cry withterrific intensity or howl with despair when they
are stressed. Theyshriek with delight and respond with high
energy when reacting tohappy or challenging situations.
 Approach to New
Situation
Some infants are very cautious. They are wary and
fearful of newteachers, being placed in a different
crib, or being taken to visit a newsetting. Other
infants approach new persons, activities, or new
playpossibilities with zest and enjoyment.
Distraction

•Some children can consentrate on a toy

regardless of surroundingbustle or noise in a
room. Others are easily distracted.
Adaptability of each
Child
Some children react to strange or difficult
situations with distress butrecover fairly
rapidly. Others adjust to new situations with
difficulty orafter a very long period.
Child's Attention
span

Some children have a long attention span.

They continue with anactivity for a fairly long
time. Others flit from one activity to another.
 3 basic types of temperament and
clustered(Alexander Thomas and
Stella Chess)temperament

1 .The easy childThey are easily readily establishes regular

routines, is generally cheerfuland adapts readily to new
experiences.
2. The difficult chidThey are irregular in daily routines, is slow to
accept new experiencesand tends to react negatively and
intensely to new things
3. The slow-to-warm-up childShows low-key reactions to
environmental changes, is negative inmood, and adjusts slowly
to new experiences.
 The Emergence of
Moral Self
A sense of morality presupposes awareness of the existence
of moralstandards and the ability to evaluate oneself againts
standards. Onechildren can recognize themselves as entities,
they become capable ofself-evaluation and self-description
againts a set of standards.
 The Emergence of Moral Self

50% of 19-24 month olds and 80% of 25-29 months old and
almost30-40 month olds are capable of self-evaluation.
Sense of morality.
 The Emergence of Moral Self

Children who aren't capable of self-evaluation and self-

descriptiondon't have the capacity to experience a sense of
shame and remorse.Moral behavior cannot occur when
children do not recognizethemselves as social beings whose
behaviors can be evaluated againtssome standard.
 The Emergence of Moral Self

It is not then surprising why some babies show their parents

theyhave done something wrong sometimes even with
laughter or atother times with no particular emotion. It is not
because they are badbabies. It is simply because they are
not yet able to find a standard inmind and evaluate
situations in terms of these standards.
The development of
emotions
Milestone of the baby and toddler's
emotional and socialdevelopment
 The development of emotions

Early Infancy

Early infancy (birth to 6 months)It is not clear whether infants actually

experience emotions or ifadults, using adults facial expressions as the
standard, simplysuperimpose their own understanding of the
meaning of infant facialexpressions.
 The development of emotions

Between six and ten weeks, a social smile emerges,

usuallyaccompanied by other pleasure-indicative actions and
sounds,including cooing and mouthing. This social smile occurs in
response toadult smiles and interactions.
 The development of emotions

As infants become more aware of their environment, smiling occurs

inresponse to a wider variety of contexts. They may smile when they
see a toy they have previously enjoyed. Laughter which begins at
around 3 to 4 months, requires a level of cognitive development
because it demonstrates that the child can recognize incongruity.
 The development of emotions

That is, laughter is usually elicited by actions that deviate from the
norm,such as being kissed on the abdomen or a caregiver playing
peek-a-boo. Because if fosters reciprocal interactions with others,
laughterspromotes social development.
 The development of emotions

Later infancy months (7-12)During the last month of the year,

infants begin expressing fear, disgust,and anger because of the
maturation of cognitive abilities.Anger, often expressed by
crying, is a frequent emotion expressed byinfants. Although
some infants respond to distressing events with sadness,anger
is more common.
 The development of emotions

Fear also emerges during this stage as children become able to

compare anunfamiliar with what they know. Unfamiliar
situations or objects oftenelicit fear responses in infants. One of
the most common is the presence ofan adult stranger, a fear
that begins to appear at about seven months. Asecond fear of
this stage is called separation anxiet
 The development of emotions

Infants 7-12 months old may cry in fear if the mother or

caregiver leaves them in an unfamiliar place.Socialization of
emotion begins in infancy. It is thought that thisprocess is
significant in the infants acquisition of cultural and socialcodes
for emotional display, teaching them how to express
theiremotions, and the degree of acceptability associated with
differenttypes of emotional behavior.
 The development of emotions

Social referencing
Infants begin to recognize the emotions of others, and use
thisinformation when reacting to novel situations and people.
As infantsexplore their world, they generally rely on the
emotional expressionsof their mothers or caregivers to
determine the safety orappropriateness of a particular
endeavour.
 The development of emotions

•Toddlerhood (1-2)
Infants express emotion of shame or embarassment and
pride. Theseemotions mature in all children and adults
contribute in theirdevelopment.
 The development of emotions

•Emotional understanding
Toddlers acquire language and are learning to verbally express
theirfeelings. This ability, rudimentary as it is during early
toddlerhood, isthe first step in the development of emotional
self-regulation skills.
 The development of emotions

Children begin to develop skills to regulate their emotions with

the emergence of language providing an important tool to
assist in this process. Being able to articulate an emotional
state in itself has aregulatory effect in that it enables children to
communicate their feelings to a person capable of helping
them manage their emotional state.
 The development of emotions

Speech also enables children to self-regulate, using

soothinglanguage to talk themselves through difficult
situations.
 The development of emotions

Children largely rely on adults to help them regulate their

emotionalstates. If they are uncomfortable they may be able to
communicatethis state by crying, but have little hope of
alleviating the discomforton their own.
 The development of emotions

Empathy-a complex emotional response to a situation, also

appearsin toddlerhood, usually by aged two. It requires that
children readothers' emotional cues, understand that other
people are entitiesdistinct from themselves and take the
perspective of another person.
 Hope: Trust vs Mistrust (Infants, 0-1 yr)Psychological Crisis: T vs MTV: H

It centers around the infant's basic needs being met by the

parents.The infant depends on the parents, especially the
mother, for food,sustenance, and comfort. The child's relative
understanding of worldand society come from the parents and
their interaction with thechild.
Hope: Trust vs Mistrust (Infants, 0-1 yr)Psychological Crisis: T vs MTV: H

If the parents expose the child warmth, regularity,

anddependable affection, the infant's view of the world will be
one oftrust. Should the parents fail to provide a secure
environment and tomeet the child's basic need a sense of
mistrust will result.
The major developmental in infancy is to learn whether or not
otherpeople, especially primary caregivers, regularly satisfy
basic needs. Ifcaregivers are consistent sources of food,
comfort, and affection, aninfant learns trust--that others are
dependable and reliable. If theyare neglectful or perhaps even
abusive, the infant instead learnsmistrust --that the world is in
an undependable, unpredictable, andpossibly dangerous
place.
utonomy vs Shame & Doubt
(Toddlers, 2 to 3 yrs)
Psychological Crisis: A vs S & DMQ:
"Can I do things myself or must I
always rely on others?"
 utonomy vs Shame & Doubt

As a child gains control or eliminative functions and motor

abilities,they begin to explore their surroundings. The parents
still provide astrong base of security from which the child can
venture out to asserttheir will.
 utonomy vs Shame & Doubt

The parents' patience and encouragement help foster

autonomy in the child. Highly restrictive parents, however, are
morelikely to instill the child with a sense of doubt and
reluctance to attempt new challenges.
 Thank You
Presented by Florentino Rachelle Ann A
GFD 1