4.6: Key Terms

attachment

emotional and affective bond between an infant and their primary caregiver

attention-seeking behavior

emotion regulation strategy that consists of an effort to obtain a caregiver’s attention for comfort and support

attentional distraction

emotion regulation strategy that consists of turning away from a stressful sound, sight, or event

autonomy

sense of independence or freedom to control yourself and your actions

autonomy versus doubt

second stage in Erikson’s theory of personality development, in which the toddler forms a sense of autonomy based on whether they are encouraged to try new skills and tasks

blended family

family that includes stepparents or stepsiblings

body-as-obstacle test

test of self-awareness in which an infant needs to move their body to accomplish a goal

center care

childcare provided in a commercial center that is regulated and licensed by the government

commuter family

family in which one or more family members split their time between households

difficult temperament (undercontrolled/exuberant)

temperament in which the infant has an irregular routine, high intensity, and negative mood and is slow to adapt to new experiences

disorganized attachment

pattern of behavior in which infants are confused or inconsistent in their response to the absence of their caregiver

dyadic regulation

process of calming an infant down through touch, feeding, or distraction

easy temperament (resilient)

temperament in which an infant may be more adaptable and able to thrive in a variety of contexts, establishes a routine quickly, and typically has a positive mood

effortful control

includes traits related to impulse control and inhibition, including the ability to maintain attention and control responses to experiences

emotion

temporary affective state or feeling that influences an individual’s physiology, facial expressions, and motivations

emotion regulation

ability to calm ourselves and move from a state of high arousal to a state of lower arousal

emotional awareness

insight into one’s own emotional state and that of others

emotional labeling

process of recognizing and identifying one’s own current affective state

escape behavior

emotion regulation strategy that consists of distancing or removing ourselves from an upsetting event or experience

family

two or more persons who are legally or genetically related, who act as a unit, and who share financial resources

family care

childcare provided by family members in the child’s home or the relative’s home

gender socialization

the process by which individuals are exposed to and learn gender roles and expectations in their culture

gender stereotypes

societal expectations and assumptions based on an individual’s sex or gender identity

goodness of fit

degree to which an infant’s temperament and their surrounding environment match and complement each other

home daycare

childcare provided in another home by another family, either formally or informally

insecure ambivalent attachment

pattern of behavior in which infants become especially distressed during both the absence of their caregiver and their return

insecure avoidant attachment

pattern of behavior in which infants show indifference to the absence and return of their caregiver

intergenerational family

family that includes aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents

internal working model

infants’ cognitive understanding of how relationships work and their expectations

involuntary imitation

immediate, reflexive imitation that occurs in infants between two and four months of age

joint attention

when infants focus their attention on the same object, person, or experience as a social partner

kewpie doll effect

motivation to care for an infant because of their rounded features

mirror neurons

neurons that react when individuals observe another individual and then perform the same action

mirror test

(also, rouge test) test of infant visual self-recognition in which the baby is placed in front of a mirror with a red mark on their nose

moods

long-lasting dispositions that describe an individual’s level of arousal and pleasure

nanny services

childcare provided by a nonfamily member who cares for children at the child’s home

negative affectivity

tendency to experience and express distress, discomfort, and avoidance behavior; associated with lower emotion regulation

nuclear family

family that includes two caregivers and their children

object-relations theory

theory about the way infants begin to understand their world through their relationship with their primary caregiver

personality

long-lasting pattern of behavior, attitudes, thoughts, and emotions consistent across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood

primary caregiver

individual who spends the most time caring for an infant in the first year of life

primary emotions

biologically based feelings that appear early in the first year of life and are associated with distinct and universal facial expressions

secondary emotions

situationally specific emotions that start to develop in the second year of life and require infants to have a sense of self

secure attachment

pattern of behavior in which infants become distressed during the absence of their caregiver but feel secure and comforted upon the caregiver’s return

secure base

safe place the caregiver gives the infant from which to explore the world around them

self-conscious emotions

secondary emotions that respond to an individual’s awareness of how others view them

self-recognition

ability to visually identify ourselves when looking at a mirror or a photo

self-soothing

emotion regulation strategy that consists of calming ourselves through sucking, breathing, and relaxation

sense of self

awareness of self as different from others

separation anxiety

distress that infants feel when their primary caregiver is absent

single-parent family

family that includes one caregiver and their children

slow-to-warm-up temperament (overcontrolled/inhibited)

temperament in which infant may be more prone to anxious or fearful behavior and have a lower activity level and lower mood intensity

social cognition

ability to understand another person’s thoughts, emotions, or intentions

social referencing

strategy of looking at others to see how they are responding during ambiguous and novel situations to inform one’s own reaction

social smile

involuntary smile that infants begin to display at approximately two months of age in response to seeing another smiling face

Strange Situation

experiment in which infants and primary caregivers are separated and reunited multiple times in a research lab to examine attachment style

stranger anxiety

infant’s fear reaction when encountering a new person or someone they do not often see

surgency (also, extraversion)

a trait characterized by high levels of physical activity, sociability, and spontaneity

synchrony

interaction between caregiver and child involving responding to each other’s emotions in reciprocal and sensitive ways

temperament

innate, biological components of individuality present as consistent patterns of behavior shortly after birth

transgenerational attachment

attachment patterns passed down through generations of one family

trust versus mistrust

first stage in Erikson’s theory of personality development, in which infants form a sense of trust toward others based on how reliably their caregivers meet their needs

voluntary imitation

purposeful imitation of others’ gestures and facial expressions that infants begin to display at approximately eight months of age