Psych 301 9 12 3 SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Attachment Attachment A strong lasting emotional connection between infant and caregiver Attachment is adaptive Infant attachment behaviors motivate adult attention Infants exhibiting attachment behaviors have a higher chance of survival Attachment in other species Imprinting An instinctual tendency in some animals producing strong attachment of young animals to nearby adults Harlow s monkey studies Surrogate mothers Wire mesh mother Cloth mother Importance of contact comfort over tangible resources food Attachment styles Separation anxiety Distress when a child is separated from the caregiver Starts around 6 to 8 months Caregiver as secure base Child can balance exploration and safety The Strange Situation Test Technique for studying attachment Series of increasingly stressful events with caregiver present or absent Secure 65 Distressed when caregiver absent Quickly comforted on return Avoidant 20 25 Not concerned with caregiver s absence Ignores on return Anxious ambivalent 10 15 Inconsolable when caregiver absent Elicits rejects contact on return Disorganized Throwaway category The chemical basis of attachment Oxytocin Hormone related to affiliative behaviors including infant caregiver attachment Promotes maternal behaviors that help ensure survival of infant Promotes attachment behaviors in infant Strengthens social memories Who influences social development Parenting and infant temperament Chess Thomas longitudinal study Temperament Biologically based behavioral tendencies The fit between child temperament and parental behaviors critical in determining social development Difficult children Calm firm parents vs overprotective parents Friendships change with age Before age 2 Friendship usually limited to parallel play Around age 3 Interactive friendships Physical proximity shared activities Late preschool Sharing reciprocity and commitment to friendships Friends tend to be similar in age gender appearance attitudes etc Factors essential to formation of friendships Based on observation of children who did or did not become friends Factors characterizing interactions of children who became friends Common ground activity Clear communication Exchange of information Resolution of conflicts Reciprocity Importance of parents and peers Group socialization theory Children learn two sets of behaviors For inside the home For peer interactions Claims that only behaviors learned for outside the home have long term effects on adult personality and behavior But Parents have strong effect on choice of social groups Friendships cliques crowds Fitting into the social hierarchy Sociometric analysis Research technique where children select peers they like and dislike Major categories Popular children Rejected children Neglected children Controversial children Rejected children associated with many negative psychological and behavioral outcomes anxiety depression Gender differences in adult friendships Intimacy and self disclosure Women reveal more personal information to same sex and opposite sex friends Same sex friendships For women revolve around conversation and discussion of personal issues For men involve participation in sports and other games Cross sex friendships After preschool both boys and girls prefer same sex friends Bleske Rechek Buss study Men report primary advantage of cross sex friendships is potential for sexual relationships Women more varied reasons protection potential mate Overall same criteria as same sex friendships companionship conversation etc
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