DVP - Social Development in Childhood Lesson

Learning Targets:

  • Describe the influence of temperament and other social factors on attachment and appropriate socialization. 
  • Identify the contributions of major researchers in developmental psychology in social development in childhood. 
  • Discuss the interaction of nature and nurture (including cultural variations), specifically social development, in the determination of behavior. 

AP psychology course and exam description, effective fall 2020. (n.d.). https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-psychology-course-and-exam-description.pdf

Infancy and Childhood: Social Development

Mother holding child. Social Development begins on day one with the first touch between mother and child. All mammals need warmth and contact to flourish and survive. These interactions are especially essential to development and well-being. Developmental psychologists have identified periods of our lives in which development must be healthy or we will not continue to develop properly. These periods are called critical periods.

During the first year of life, we form attachments or emotional ties with another person. Having a responsible, accessible caregiver creates a base for children to explore and learn about the world around them. It also helps us create mental models for our future relationships.

Konrad Lorenz

Scientist Konrad Lorenz is famous for his discovery of how some animals form attachments through imprinting (Imprinting is a virtual permanent learning process.). Lorenz found that some animals are genetically predisposed to respond to sensory stimuli that imprint them on their parents. He conducted a study with baby geese and made sure that he was the first moving object they saw after hatching. The baby geese imprinted Lorenz as their caregiver and would follow him around as if he were their mother. This is a survival skill that helps keep the young close to their mothers for protection.

Harry Harlow

Psychologist Harry Harlow, through his studies on attachment, proved that touch is key for forming secure attachments. His experiments revolved around baby rhesus monkeys that he separated from their mothers at birth. He then replaced the mother with a wire mother who provided nourishment and a cloth mother who provided tactile comfort. Through his research, he discovered the monkeys preferred the soft cloth body of a mother who provides tactile touch over nourishment. Harlow's studies changed how babies were treated in hospitals and orphanages.

Please take a moment to view this presentation for more information on Harry Harlow's attachment studies.

Nature vs. Nurture: Social Development

The interaction of nature and nurture is a key concept in AP Psychology, which involves the interplay between genetic factors (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) in shaping human behavior. Genetic traits such as temperament and personality influence social behavior, while environmental factors such as parenting styles, peer relationships, and cultural norms and values shape social development. Social development is shaped by both nature and nurture, including cultural variations. As social development varies across cultures, cultural values play a significant role in influencing social behaviors like social support and conformity.

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