Psych of Infancy & Childhood—C. 7 EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
IN INFANCY AND TODDLERHOOD and C. 8 PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
—Assignment (bold & italicize your answers, if not -5) Submit your “Scholarly” answers on this form and
resubmit on Blackboard. (Worth 87 points total)—Quiz points will be posted separately (72 points).
CHAPTER 7—
Ch 7, Section 1—Worth 8 points
LEARNING ACTIVITY 7.2
Supporting Emotional Self-Regulation in Infants and Toddlers
Directions: You are to imagine that you have been asked to speak to a group of parents on the importance of
helping young children manage their emotional experiences. Using research in the text as a guide, you are to list the
information you would include on the following:
1. Why is emotional self-regulation important? (Worth 2 points)
Emotional self-regulation is one of the most important aspects of being able to accomplish goals
throughout our lives. We begin to develop this skill in the infancy stage of life, and parents are a key part
of helping a child develop a healthy ability to emotionally self regulate.
2. What infant and toddler behaviors reflect the beginnings of effortful control and emotional self-regulation?
(Worth 2 points)
The behaviors that reflect the beginnings of effortful control and emotional self-regulation include the
capability to shift attention away from unpleasant events, self-soothing, gestures, vocalization, crawling,
walking, self-distraction, expressing positive emotions, and intrest in exploring.
3. How can caregivers help their infants and toddlers regulate emotion? (Worth 2 points)
Through soothing, shifting attention, responsiveness, sympathizing, encouraging them to suppress
negative emotions, and imitating positive emotions more than negative ones, we can help our child begin
to develop emotional self-regulation.
4. What caregiving behaviors should parents avoid, and why? (Worth 2 points)
Responding in an impatient or angry way, responding to a child’s distress too slowly, and failing to
regulate stressful experiences for an infant who cannot do that themselves yet.
Ch 7, Section 2—Worth 10 points
LEARNING ACTIVITY 7.5
Investigating Threats to Attachment Security
Directions: Scenerio: As part of a large research study, you have been asked to conduct home visits for infants
and toddlers who may be at risk for insecure attachment. You are to answer the following questions as what to
look for during the visit.
1. What clues would you look for to distinguish among avoidant, resistant, and disorganized/disoriented
attachment? Define each. (Worth 4 points)
a. Avoidant— Child is unresponsive to the parent, not distressed when the parent exits, reacting to
a stranger similarly to the parent, avoid or slow to great the parent upon return, and failure to
cling to the parent when picked up.
b. Resitant— Extremly distressed when the parent leaves. Clingy, angry or resistive when the parent
returns. Anxiously focused on the parent. Unable to be comforted easily and continue crying
when picked up.
c. Disorganized/Disoriented—Child shows confused and contraditcory behaviors like not looking at
the parent when holding them, depressed or flat emotion toward parent, displaying odd postures
or frozen, dazed facial expression, and crying out randomly after having calmed down.
1
, d. How to distinguish among each? The attachment types can be distinguished between after careful
observation of the child and parent interactions. The attachment Q-sort is an observation tactic
used to assess a child’s attatchment style and will score the child.
2. What caregiving behaviors might signal a threat to attachment security? (Worth 2 points)
Not responding promptly to a child, little physical contact, handling them awkwardly or routinely,
resentful or rejecting behaviors toward a child, not referring to their mental states and motives,
overstimulating or intrusive care, depressed parents, parents suffering from a traumatic event, teasing
the baby, looking fearful, being rough with the baby, seeking reassurance from an upset child, and
holding a baby stiffly at a distance.
3. What about infant characteristics play a role in attachment security? (Worth 2 points)
Infants with special needs or being an at-risk newborn may play a role in causing parental distress
which affects attachment security. Infants with emotionally reactive temperaments are more likely to display
insecure attachment. Infants with certain genotypes are more at risk of attachment insecurity, but only if
they also experience insensitive parenting.
4. What questions would you ask to identify important contextual influences on the infant–parent relationship
(for example, recent divorce, financial difficulties)? (Worth 2 points)
What would you rate your marital satisfaction? How much stress are you under? Is the mother or father
experiencing post-partum depression? Are you financially secure or experiencing financial difficulties?
What is your babies temperament like? Does the child have any special needs? What is you and your
child’s daily routine?
Ch 7, Section 3—Worth 8 points
Directions: After watching the video “How Babies Form Attachments”, explain the following according to the
video:
A. Stage 1—Asocial Stage
a. What age associated? Lasts up to 6 weeks after birth
b. Explain: No discrimination between humans, prefer humans over non-humans, don’t yet show a
preference for their parents.
B. Stage 2—Indiscriminate stage
a. What age associated? 6 weeks to 6 months
b. Explain: Start to form stronger attachment with familiar adults, don’t show a fear of strangeres
C. Stage 3--_Specific stage
a. What age associated? Develops around 7 months old
b. Explain: Separation anxiety, fear strangers
D. Stage 4—Multiple attachments
a. What age associated? Forms around 10 months old
b. Explain: Attachment with primary caregiver grows, interest in developing bonds with others like
friends, grandparents and familiar adults
Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 Video Summation (Worth 61 points)
Directions: You are to summarize the following videos (number of sentences stated for each) and give your
scholarly opinion (3-5 sentences each). (Summation Worth 3 points and Opinion Worth 2 points)
Ch 7—Video(s) #1—“The Life-Long Impact of Absent Fathers”, “The Importance of Fathers”, “Kids Perspective
on Dads”, & “Being Fully Present as a Dad”
2