5.4: Social Stages of Development
- Page ID
- 245013
This page is a draft and is under active development.
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Social Stages of Development
Infants and toddlers develop socially throughout their first few years of life, moving from the newborn to a child who engages in relationships with others.
While infants and toddlers follow a general predictable pattern of development, the ways in which children develop vary due to culture, biological factors, or environmental factors.
Infancy (0-12 Months)
0-2 Months: Early Connections
- Responds to caregivers: Quiets down or smiles when held and spoken to.
- Shows interest in faces: Gazes at faces, especially the caregiver's.
- Begins social smiling: Smiles intentionally to engage with others.
- Expresses feelings through cries: Uses different cries to indicate needs like hunger, tiredness, or discomfort.
2-4 Months: Building Attachment
- Stronger attachment to caregivers: Shows a preference for familiar adults.
- More active engagement: Makes eye contact, moves arms, and smiles to get attention.
- Copies facial expressions: Starts to mimic simple expressions like smiling or sticking out the tongue.
4-6 Months: Becoming More Social
- Increased social interaction: Enjoys playing with people and may laugh or make playful sounds.
- Expresses a wider range of emotions: Facial expressions become clearer in showing happiness, sadness, anger, and surprise.
- Responds to own name: Begins to recognize and react when their name is called.
6-9 Months: Developing Preferences and Anxiety
- Stronger bonds with primary caregivers: Shows clear preferences for familiar people.
- Stranger anxiety may emerge: May show fussiness or fear around unfamiliar people.
- Begins to understand object permanence: Starts to realize that things still exist even when out of sight, which can influence separation anxiety.
9-12 Months: Exploring Independence and Showing Affection
- Increased independence: May resist being held all the time as they become more mobile (crawling, pulling to stand).
- Separation anxiety may appear: May become upset when primary caregivers leave.
- Shows affection: May offer hugs or kisses to familiar people.
- Begins to imitate: Copies simple actions or sounds made by others.
- Engages in simple interactive games: Enjoys games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake.
Toddlerhood (1-3 Years)
12-18 Months: Expanding Social World
- Explores with caregiver nearby: Gains confidence to explore their environment while staying close to a trusted adult.
- Imitates others more intentionally: Copies actions and behaviors of adults and other children during play.
- Shows affection for familiar people and objects: May hug dolls or stuffed animals.
- Points to show interest: Uses pointing to direct others' attention to objects of interest.
18-24 Months: Developing Independence and Self-Awareness
- Increasing independence: May want to do things "by myself."
- Begins parallel play: Plays alongside other children but may not yet interact directly.
- Shows empathy: May notice when others are hurt or upset.
- Recognizes self in a mirror: Develops a sense of self-awareness.
- May show defiant behavior: Begins to test boundaries and say "no."
2-3 Years: Interacting and Understanding Feelings
- More interactive play: Starts to play with other children, taking turns in simple games.
- Expresses a wider range of emotions: Can show frustration, excitement, and affection.
- Begins to understand others' feelings: May ask why someone is sad or happy.
- Develops pretend play: Engages in imaginative play, sometimes taking on roles.
- Increased communication: Uses more words and simple sentences to express needs and interact socially.
- May have temper tantrums: Difficulty managing big emotions can lead to tantrums.