Infant Emotional Responses and Brain Activity

Infant/Toddler Psychosocial Development

• Infants exhibit attraction to comforting, stimulating situations and withdrawal from unpleasant stimuli.
• The Behavioral Approach System (BAS) is active when infants experience positive emotions; the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) is active during negative emotions.
• Emotional responses are limited at birth because brain circuits are not fully formed.

Emotional Development in Infants and Toddlers

• Infants initially express two basic emotions: attraction and withdrawal
• Interest/curiosity is demonstrated by three months
• Surprise is displayed by six months
• Infants display other emotions like joy, pain, sadness, disgust, anger, and fear at differing ages
• Joy, a positive emotion, is experienced by two months
• Pain is a negative reaction at birth
• Sadness is a negative reaction that is observed by three months
• Disgust is a negative reaction at birth
• Anger occurs between four and six months
• Toddlers show fear around seven months

Temperament

• Temperament involves individual differences in children's behavior observed from birth, these differences persist through development
• Caregivers are often surprised when they see variations in their children's reactions
• Thomas and Chess identified three temperament types: easy (40%), slow-to-warm-up (15%), and difficult (10%).
• Goodness of fit refers to the match between a child's temperament and the parenting style

The Biopsychology of Temperament

• Temperament is demonstrated over the first year of life; including responses to pleasure and frustration
• Biological markers of temperament include frontal EEG asymmetry, skin conductance, and heart rate
• Frontal EEG asymmetry reflects differences in brain activity between the right and left sides of the brain, indicating emotional reactivity
• Skin conductance is related to fear and stress through sympathetic nervous system activation
• Heart rate variability (RSA) is from parasympathetic nervous system activity, related to attention
• Studies show that infant's biological markers change as they develop and that temperament is linked to behavioral and emotional problems

Infant Social Behavior

• Emotions are an important part of the mother-infant system; enabling communication of needs.
• Infants learn about emotions through others' responses to their needs.
• Primary emotions include pain, sadness, disgust, fear (BIS); and interest, surprise, joy, anger (BAS)

The attachment system

• Infant behaviors associated with seeking security and care from caregivers are important to infants.
• Infants are born with reflexes that allow them to signal needs, and caregivers distinguish between the types of crying
• Infants develop voluntary behaviors and learning behaviors, and have a preference for familiar caregivers by 9 months
• The "still face" paradigm examines how infants respond to caregivers' unresponsiveness

Separating Families at the Border

• Separating families at the border has detrimental effects on children, increasing risks of depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc.
• Children experiencing separation exhibit attachment issues and mental health problems

Child's Play and Direct Evidence for Internal Working Models of Caregiving

• Infants, toddlers, and children demonstrate and understand social dominance though play and interaction with caregivers.

Empathy in Infants and Toddlers

• Infants exhibit emotional contagion (crying when others cry) starting around 8 months
• Toddlers show increasing concern for distressed others around 8-16 months
• Caregiver sensitivity and responsiveness affects empathy development, as well as cognitive and language skills

The Dominance System

• Toddlers display competition for resources and status, demonstrating a sense of agency, which regulates their own behavior and allows them to care for others

Language Development

• Language development is influenced by genetics, maturation, and experience
• Infants readily learn language through observation
• Key components are phonemes (smallest unit of sound), morphemes (smallest units of meaningful language), and syntax (rules of grammar)
• Pragmatics involve social rules related to communication
• Infants exhibit infant-directed speech behaviors used by caregivers

The Caregiving Behavioral System

• Infants and caregivers engage in reciprocal interactions
• Children develop schemas of caregiver behavior, which affect future expectations

Assessment of Infant-Toddler Development

• Assessment tools like the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) and Ages and Stages Questionnaire are used.
• Tools like the Early Language Milestone Scale assess language development from birth to 36 months
• Other tests are used to diagnose autism spectrum disorder in toddlers.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Toddlers

• ASD is a developmental disability with symptoms that appear early in childhood.
• Children with ASD have challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, and communication.
• Signs include difficulty with eye contact, imitation, sharing attention, and sensory differences.
• Early intervention is very important

This quiz explores the relationship between brain activity, emotional responses, and temperament in infants. It focuses on various aspects such as EEG asymmetry, skin conductance, and the development of emotions according to psychological theories. Test your understanding of how infants express and learn about their emotions.