Social Development in Infants

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Questions and Answers

What stage of language acquisition is characterized by rapid word acquisition, typically occurring around 18 months?

Vocabulary Spurt (correct)

First Words

Grammar Mastery

Babbling

Which theory posits that children learn language primarily through reinforcement and imitation?

Social Interactionist Theory

Behaviorist Theory (correct)

Critical Period Hypothesis

Cognitive Theory

What is the main argument supporting Chomsky's Nativist Theory regarding language acquisition?

Language development follows a strict behavioral model.

Children can produce novel sentences.

Children learn language through social interaction.

There is an Innate Language Acquisition Device (LAD) with universal grammar. (correct)

What is indicated by research into feral or deprived children regarding language acquisition?

There are critical periods for acquiring native language proficiency. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following strategies is NOT recommended for facilitating language development?

Avoiding routines and structure Signup and view all the answers

What is one critical skill predicted to influence success in relationships and behavior into adulthood?

Empathy Signup and view all the answers

At what age do infants begin to prefer faces over other visual stimuli?

2 days Signup and view all the answers

Which mechanism involves copying behavior without understanding the underlying goal?

Mimicry Signup and view all the answers

Which attachment theory emphasizes the importance of comfort and security in child development?

Bowlby’s Ethological Theory Signup and view all the answers

What behavior do infants engage in when they follow the gaze of an adult to share focus?

Joint attention Signup and view all the answers

What do infants show an ability to recognize shortly after birth?

Their mother's voice Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding the concepts of imitation and emulation?

Imitation requires understanding the goal, while emulation does not. Signup and view all the answers

What developmental aspect is associated with the '9-Month Revolution' in infants?

Emergence of joint attention Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes Insecure Resistant attachment?

Ambivalence towards caregiver’s return Signup and view all the answers

At what age can prosocial behavior, such as helping without reward, typically be seen in children?

12-18 months Signup and view all the answers

Which developmental milestone involves infants showing understanding of perception and goals?

9-Month Revolution Signup and view all the answers

What type of gesture is characterized by wanting to share interest or attention?

Declarative Gestures Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes disorganized attachment?

Dazed and apprehensive responses Signup and view all the answers

What do 18-month-olds understand about others' desires?

Others' desires may differ from their own Signup and view all the answers

When do infants typically begin to engage in nonverbal communication through intentional means like eye contact?

9-10 months Signup and view all the answers

What type of communication do chimpanzees typically lack that is common in human interaction?

Declarative gestures Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Social Cognition's Importance: Predicts future success in relationships, education, and behavior. Empathy, perspective-taking, and cooperation are key skills.
Infant Abilities: Humans are born needing social bonds for survival.
Facilitating Bonds: Babies have "baby features" (large heads, round cheeks) that trigger caregiver responses. Infants recognize their mother's voice within 2-3 days of birth. Prenatal learning includes recognizing sounds/stories.
Social Sensitivity: Infants show preference for faces over other stimuli by 2 days old. They recognize their mother's face after just 5.5 hours of exposure. Infants prefer direct gazes and happy expressions. Infants as young as 42 minutes old can mimic facial expressions, promoting social bonding.

9-Month Revolution

Shared Intentionality and Imitation: Infants demonstrate intentionality and imitation beginning around 9-14 months.
Social Skills: Joint attention (following gaze), social referencing (understanding others' emotions), and early cooperation (shared goals) are key.

Attachment and Prosocial Behavior

Attachment Theories: Freud's drive-reduction theory proposes attachment stems from satisfying biological needs. Bowlby's ethological theory suggests attachment provides a secure base for exploration. Harlow's studies support this, demonstrating monkeys' preference for comfort over food.
Attachment Patterns: Ainsworth's strange situation test describes attachment patterns: secure, insecure avoidant, and insecure resistant.
Prosocial Behavior: This emerges early (12-18 months). Children show altruism (helping others without reward) and providing information. Chimpanzees also display similar behaviors, though these sometimes differ.

Theory of Mind

Definition: Attributing mental states (e.g., thoughts, feelings, beliefs) to oneself and others. This improves prediction of others' behaviors.
Key Milestones: 9-month revolution shows understanding of perception, attention, and goals. Newborns display emotional contagion; infants are known to comfort distressed others from 14 to 18 months old. 18-month-olds understand others' desires may differ from their own.
False Beliefs: Infants develop the ability to understand that others' beliefs can differ from reality.

Nonverbal Communication

Intentional Communication: Begins around 9-10 months, demonstrated through eye contact and gaze alternation.
Gesture Types: Dyadic (unclear intention), triadic (sharing focus), imperative (requesting), declarative (sharing interest), iconic (mimicking).
Animal Communication: Chimpanzees display complex gestural communication but lack declarative gestures as seen in humans. Vervet monkeys' alarm calls showcase primitive "word-like" communication.

Language Acquisition

Development Stages: Pre-linguistic vocalizations (coos, gurgles); babbling; first words; vocabulary spurt; grammar mastery.
Theories: Behaviorist (learning through imitation and reinforcement); nativist (innate language acquisition device); interactionist (social interaction and scaffolding).
Critical Periods: Early childhood is crucial for language acquisition.
Facilitating Factors: Child-directed speech ("motherese"), routines, and scaffolding enhance learning.

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Description

Explore the critical aspects of social development in infants. This quiz covers the importance of social cognition, infant abilities to recognize caregivers, and the emergence of social skills like intentionality and imitation. Test your knowledge on how infants build social bonds and their preference for social stimuli.