FCS 1500

GENERAL ASPECTS OF INFANT SOCIOEMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

THE FIRST TWO YEARS

I. Birth - 1 Month (Newborn Period):

-Cries are primary form of emotional expression (reflexive)

-Infant is 'controlled' primarily by internal rather than external environmental stimuli (e.g., hunger, pain)

II. 1-2 Months: (Turning Toward the Environment)

-Infant shows marked increase in his/her interest in the environment; this interest is not selective (i.e., infant does not discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar adults).

-Special interest in human face.

-Social smile develops

III. 3-6 Months: (Period of Positive Affect)

-Infant fussiness drops remarkably.

-Increased skill at initiating and responding to interaction.

-Laughs in response to vigorous stimulation.

-(4 months) displeasure at termination of interaction.

-(5 months) begins to discriminate familiar and unfamiliar faces.

-(6 months) more pleasurable response to familiar than unfamiliar.

IV. 7-9 Months: (Period of Active Participation)

-Increased and persistent efforts to elicit social responses.

-Increasing differentiation of positive/negative emotional response (e.g., fear and anger are expressed)

-Participation in social games (e.g., peek-a-boo)

-More positive response to familiar persons along with negative, wary, and sober response to strangers (i.e., 8-month stranger anxiety).

V. 10-12 Months: (Period of Attachment)

-Develops focused, affectionate relationship, marked by exclusive preoccupation with caregiver.

-Positive greetings to caregiver emerge.

-Caregiver functions as source of security.

-Protest on separation from caregiver in addition to wariness of stranger.

-More refined expression of different emotions.

-Emotions clearly communicated.

VI. 12-18 Months: (Practicing Phase)

-Active exploration helps to promote mastery over inanimate environment.

-Curiosity heightens as child asserts self on world through exploration.

-Infant derives great pleasure from mastery (e.g., clapping hands, taking first steps).

-Infant 'practices' independence by trying to balance his/her tendencies toward: 1) attachment to mother,

2) fear/wariness, and 3) curiosity/exploration.

VII. 18-24 Months:

-Child moves out into world, leads to awareness of self as separate from caregiver.

-Child must master anxiety fostered by desire to both remain close to mother's security and be independent.

-Child's play and language serve very important functions in his/her development of mastery and independence.