Social Development In Children

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As anyone who has seen an infant smiling at the sight of his or her mother can guess, at the same time that infants grow physically and hone their perceptual abilities, they also develop socially.

The nature of social development in children provides the foundation for social relationships that will last a lifetime.  In tracing the course of social development some theorist have considered how the challenges of society and culture change as a child matures.

Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson developed a comprehensive theory in which he viewed the development changes through childhood as four stages of their psycho-social development.

In the first stage of psychosocial development, the trust-versus-mistrust stage (ages birth to 1½ years), infants develop feelings of trust if their physical requirements and psychological needs for attachment are consistently met and their interactions with the world are generally positive. In contrast, inconsistent care and unpleasant interactions with others can lead to mistrust and leave an infant unable to meet the challenges required in the next stage of development.

In the second stage, the autonomy-versus-shame-and-doubt stage (ages 1½ to 3 years), toddlers develop independence and autonomy if exploration and freedom are encouraged, or they experience shame, self-doubt, and unhappiness if they are overly restricted and protected. According to Erikson, the key to the development of autonomy during this period is that the child’s caregivers provide the appropriate amount of control. If parents provide too much control, children cannot assert themselves and develop their own sense of control over their environment; if parents provide too little control, the children become overly demanding and controlling.

Next, children face the crises of the i nitiative-versus-guilt stage (ages 3 to 6). In this stage, children’s desire to act independently conflicts with the guilt that comes from the unintended and unexpected consequences of such behavior. Children in this period come to understand that they are persons in their own right, and they begin to make decisions about their behavior. If parents react positively to children’s attempts at independence, they will help their children resolve the initiative-versus-guilt crisis
positively.

The fourth and last stage of childhood is the industry-versus-inferiority stage (ages 6 to 12). During this period, increasing competency  in all areas, whether social interactions or academic skills, characterizes successful psycho-social development. In contrast, difficulties in this stage lead to feelings of failure and inadequacy.

Social development in children changes as children reach school age, their social interactions begin to follow set patterns, as well as becoming more frequent. They may engage in elaborate games involving teams and rigid rules. This play serves purposes other than mere enjoyment. It allows children to become increasingly competent in their social interactions with others. Through play they learn to take the perspective of other people and to infer others’ thoughts and feelings, even when those thoughts and feelings are not directly expressed.

Social interaction helps children interpret the meaning of others’ behavior and develop the capacity to respond appropriately. Furthermore, children learn physical and emotional self-control: they learn to avoid hitting a playmate who beats them at a game, be polite, and control their emotional displays and facial expressions (e.g., smiling even when receiving a disappointing gift). Situations that provide children with opportunities for social interaction, then, may enhance their social development.

~Social Development In Children~

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