Children are building important attachments and relationships to their caregivers during the first 3 years of life. These relationships are the basis for all that children learn to do, including the development of social and emotional skills. It is important to think about how certain policies and cultural expectations influence a caregiver’s ability to spend quality time with their young child. Caregivers also play a role in how a child develops social and emotional skills. They are the first example of what social interaction looks like. Play is the main tool that children use to understand the world around them. They use play to observe, manipulate and act upon their environments. Play also helps children connect with others and build skills that strengthen cognitive and physical development. All of the skills a child learns during infancy and toddlerhood have effects that can last well into adulthood.

Review of Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you will be able to do the following:

1. Identify the stages of social emotional development for infants and toddlers.
2. Explore the development of adaptive skills and identity formation.
3. Describe the role of play in relation to developmental importance.
4. Analyze the impact of caregivers and environmental influences on attachment and development.

Comprehension Check

Review of Key Terms

• Adaptive skill development: the ability of a child to engage in age-appropriate life skills
• Ambivalent attachment: a bond in which the child seeks closeness to their caregivers and is hesitant to explore the environment
• Autonomy versus shame and doubt: the second stage of Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development in which a child establishes their independence and has a sense of control over decisions and abilities
• Avoidant attachment: a bond in which the child avoids or is dismissive to their caregivers and may not explore their environment
• Attachment theory: a term coined by researcher John Bowlby to refer to the affectional bond or tie that an infant forms with their mother
• Bidirectionality: the reciprocal relationship between two variables
• Contact comfort: an infant’s need for physical closeness and touching
• Disorganized attachment: a bond in which a child demonstrates an inconsistent relationship to their caregiver and how they interact with the environment
• Emotional self-regulation: strategies we use to control our emotional states so that we can attain goals
• Goodness-of-fit: the child’s surrounding environment is a good match for their temperament and needs
• Non-organic failure to thrive: the diagnosis for an infant who does not grow, develop, or gain weight on schedule, and there is no known medical explanation for this failure
• Reactive attachment disorder: a diagnosable mental disorder characterized by inappropriate attachment behaviors such as being inhibited and withdrawn, demonstrating minimal social and emotional responsiveness to others, limited positive affect, and developmental delays
• Resiliency: the ability to overcome challenges and successfully adapt to negative experiences
• Secure attachment: a bond in which a child feels secure with their caregivers and uses them as a base from which to explore their environment
• Separation anxiety: the fear experienced by a child in the presence of a stranger or the departure of significant others
• Social referencing: the process whereby infants seek out information via facial cues from others to clarify and act in a situation
• Social smiling: a developmental milestone in which an infant responds with smiles to those who engage their positive attention
• Temperament: the innate characteristics of a child such as mood, activity level, and emotional reactivity
• Trust versus mistrust: the first stage of Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development in which a child develops trust in their primary caregivers to feel secure

Licenses and Attributions for Conclusion

“Conclusion” by Christina Belli is licensed under CC BY 4.0.