Perspectives on emotional development
1) Genetic Maturational view:
It refers to the individual differences that influence reacting to emotionally situations and
regulation of their reactions. Link of genetic and maturational factors with positive and
negative emotions.
2) Learning perspective:
It explains the individual differences in expression of emotions. The frequency of this display
of behavior is associated with the nature of the environment they were raised in. Punished
for certain emotional displays and Reward for others. E.g. enthusiasm after smile encourages
that behavior but the fear of the parent and the intense response during their climbing etc.
could lead to development of fears through classical conditioning.
3) Functionalist perspective
It is the contemporary approach to emotional development. It represents that emotions
energize behaviors to help us achieve our goals.
Goal set that elicits strong emotion. E.g. expectation to perform well in a test
Behavior of others/situation significance. E.g. warm emotional response to a friend
or a warm behavior
Sensations (sound, sight, touch, smell) or state of mind can become personally
relevant and evoke emotion.
Emotion: Feeling or affect that occurs when people are engaged in an interaction that is
important to them, especially one that influences their well-being.
Basic Emotions
Early in the development of a child there are some basic signs of emotion as the
attraction to pleasant stimulation and withdrawal from the unpleasant. As they continue
developing, children coordinate separate skills into more effective emotional expression
along with the CNS development. By the time they reach first year of age they respond to
their parents.
, Problem 2- Changing man
Emotional development
Joy/Happiness: It is expressed first with smile and later with laughter. In general children
smile and laugh when they achieve cognitive or motor tasks. It is a component that
encourages communication and warm, supportive relationship with parents.
Early weeks: Fist is the reflexive smile, during REM, when full, response to
gentle touch or sound like mother’s voice. Mainly between 6-10 weeks,
social smile evoked by communication with the parent. The first month they
also smile in presence of eye catching sights as bright shine objects.
3-4 months: Laughter appears, because faster processing of information.
The first laughs are responses to very attractive stimuli.
By the first year: They smile and laugh more often when communicating
with familiar people. 8-10 months enjoy the adult attention, 10-12 they
react as adults and have different smiles depending on the context.
Anger/Sadness: In the beginning babies show distress to unpleasant experiences. As the
child is aging the angry expressions increase in frequency and intensity and in a wide range
of situations. The reasons for that increase are:
Capable of intentional behavior, want to control situation
They are more persistent about obtaining the desired outcome
They are able to identify who caused them pain or sadness
Sadness is not that common as anger, it mostly occurs when the infant is separated from a
loving caregiver.
Fear: It develops at the same time as sadness/anger, the second half of the first year and the
second year of life. Hesitation and more careful movements start. It goes away when
cognitive development gives the ability to distinguish between threatening and not
threatening.
Stranger anxiety: It is the most common display of fear to unfamiliar adults. It is not
always present but depends on the situation, temperament, past experiences. Also
important is how the infant is raised.
Separation protest: Crying when separated from the caregiver. Peak at 15months.
Secure base: The rise in fear keep the enthusiasm for exploration. But always they
explore and return to a familiar environment for emotional support. Approach or
Avoidance.
Crying: It is one of the main mechanisms for communication in infancy. Depressed mother’s
children do not react to other crying, dysfunction.
Basic cry: Rhythmic pattern of crying, then brief silence, whistle of higher pitch,
another rest until the next crying. Linked with hunger.
Anger cry: Variation of basic cry in which more excessed air is forced through the
vocal cords.
Pain cry: Sudden long and initially loud cry followed by breath holding, No pre-
moaning. Caused by a high intensively stimulus.
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