CTET Study Material On Social and Emotional Development - Infancy, Childhood and Adolescence

Social and Emotional Development - Meaning and Characteristics of Different Stages -Infancy, Childhood and Adolescence

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
In defining social development, human being possesses unique characteristics which separate them from animals. Their behaviour is social. Society to them is an essential as a food. They believes in maintenance of social relationships and try to adjust with others. But this does not mean that the child is born with such social behaviour and social qualities like other aspects of growth and development, he develops the necessary social characteristics in him. The process of the development of such qualities which brings desirable changes in his social behaviour is referred to as social development or socialization of child.

Social development occupies very important place in the overall process of growth and development. We cannot even describe an individual a person if he has not passed through the process of social development or socialization. Various thinkers have tried to define it. Some definitions are:

According to Sorenson - “ By social growth and development we mean increasing ability to get along well which oneself and others”

Thus, Sorenson explains that during the process of social development there is a process in the social abilities or skills of an individual. which these increased abilities he tries to bring important in the maintenance of social relationship. he tries to mould his behaviour and seek adjustment and harmony with other”.


The definition lays stress on the following:
(i) Social development refers to the process by which a person acquires the necessary knowledge, skills and disposition that makes him an acceptable member in his own group.

(II) It develops group's loyalty and encourage mutual dependence, cooperation and cohesiveness.

(III) It is process which helps an individual to behave in accordance with social traditions and more thus makes him able to adjust in his social environment.

Hurlock -  “ social development means attaining of maturity is social relationship”.

The brief definition carries a wide meaning. It assert that as in the case of emotional development, the goal should be the attainment of social maturity. An individual should have so that opportunity to modify or improve his social behaviour so that he may be able to maintain proper social relationship and can even adjust himself to his social environment.

Garrett - “Socialization or social development is the process whereby the biological, individual is converted into a human person”.

This definition is based upon the distinction between the term : individual” and “personality. The personality is the product of social interaction between  him and his social environment. Socialization and social development- the process of social interaction help the individual to attain essential personality characteristics.

In the light of all these view, we can come to the conclusion that social development or socialization is a process which:

(i) Begins with infant's first contact with other people and continues throughout his life.

(II)  Is the net result of the constant interaction which his social environment.

(III) help in learning and acquiring various social qualities and  environment.

(iv) With the result of learning helps the individual becomes adjusted to this social environment and maintain proper social relationships.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN INFANCY

The behaviour of a human infant is not social at the birth. He is extremely self-centered and is only concerned with the satisfaction of his physical needs. He does not even distinguish between people and inanimates objects.

Social behaviour is said to be taking its birth when the infant first communicate which the adult’s first social contacts with an adults for satisfaction of his needs. Therefore, As a Hurlock socialization the process of social development during the first two year of a child takes place as a result of contact with adults. The findings of Hurlock are summarised in the next page.

Social Development of Infants as a Result of Contact with Other Adult

During of age	Pattern of Social behaviour
First month	can’t differentiate between the human voice and other noises.
Second month	Recognise the sound of human beings and give smiles.
Third month	Recognises its mother and feels un-happy on separation
Fourth month	Show selective attention to the human face and feel happy in company
Fifth month	React differently to smile and scolding & distinguishes between friendly and angry voice
Sixth month	Recognise familiar persons with a smile and shows definite expressions of fear of strangers.
Eight & nine month	Attempts to imitate the speech, simple acts and gestures observed in others
Between the tenth & Elven month	Play with his image and even kisses it as if it were other persons
At twelfth month	Can refrain from doing things in response to “no-no” or some other form of request
At second year	Can cooperate with adult in a number of routine activities and become an active member of the family.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT DURING CHILDHOOD

As we have seen that during the period 2 to 6 years, a child progress from being relatively unsocial to becoming a distinctly socialization individual. He learns to share, cooperates do things        

with other.But the circle of his social contact is limited at this stage. Therefore, we cannot expect much  from him regarding his social. The area of their social contacts is now widened we note the following changes in the the social behaviour of a child:

1. This period is marked by greater degree of social awareness. There is a great expansion of child’s social world. Most of the important types of social behaviour,necessary to adjustment with other, begin to develop at this stage.
2. He tries to seek independent from his parents and other elder and spends less time with them. In actual sense, he now drives no enjoyment from them. Thus, interest in payment of his own age geats increased.
3. He  became an active member of  “peer group” and this group gradually replaces the family group in its influence over his behaviours and attitudes. The members of such a group are almost of the same age. They believe in group loyalty and thus try to conform to the rules and values maintained by their groups.
4. we find a sort of segregation among boys and girls of this age. They form their groups among member of their own sex because of a definite and clear differentiation between their habits, interests and attitudes, etc.
5. The interest and values of peer group  often clashes with the interests and values of the teachers and parents.The child at this age is caught between the two. On one hand, he aspires for the social value of his own group, on the other hand, he is equally anxious to win the lover and affection of his parents as well as a teacher's.Therefore, a proper balance between two influencing.

Adolescence is the period of rapid change and adjustments and holes a greater significance in the social sphere. The social development of this age marked by following characteristics:

1. Adolescence is marked with too much sex consciousness, sexual  development and the accompanying attraction for opposite sex. Boys and girls of this age try to attract and hold the attraction of each other forms of social behaviour. They also try to seek friendship. Therefore, the social behaviour pattern during adolescence is almost dominated by sexual needs and desires.
2. During this stage, group loyalty becomes very much pronounced. Like childhood it does not confine itself to the gang only but extends to the school, community, province and the nation. Martyrs and patriots are the product of this age. Cooperation reaches its peak during this period and the individuals are in a mood to sacrifice their own interests for the greater causes of the group,society and the nation.
3. Adolescence is also marked with an increase in friendly relationships. The nature of friendship maintained at  this stage differs much from that of childhood while the childhood friendship are generally chooses from the neighborhood or class, in adolescence there is no such bar of distance, Adolescence tends to choose friends of their own age, mental level and from the same socioeconomic group to which their common interest, hobbies and skills or not satisfaction of their mutual needs and subsequently tends to last longer than the friendship made in early childhood. It sometimes cements life-long relationships.
4. Adolescence is a period of intense emotions. Emotional behaviour dominates the social characters and qualities of adolescent are highly sensitive, idealist and social reformer by nature. He feels strongly for the weak and suffers. He is always ready to do some sort of social community service. From time to time, he exhibits his desire for bringings reforms in the social set-up and is highly critical of social evils injustice.
5. Their area of specific interests and social contacts get widened during adolescence. Beside individual characteristics, culture, socio-economic status of the family, sex education - all affect their social interest and contacts, we find too much diversity in the adolescents regarding, their interests and sociability. while some are highly extrovert and sociable, others like to remain aloof and shrink from social contacts and participation.

In the end, we can say that adolescence is a period of maximum social awareness, increasing social relationships and intimate friendships.During this age the individual is provided with wide area of interests and opportunities for making social adjustment and learning, social qualities. During this period an individual prepares himself to play the role of an adult in this social life.By the end of this stage, the social behaviour of the child because almost matured.

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The world “emotional” is derived from Latin word “ emovere “ which means “ to stir up” . Therefore, the motion may be understand as agitated or excited state of our mind and body.Taking clue from such derivation, various psychologist have tried to provide the definition of the term “emotion” in their own ways. According to :

Woodworth - “ Emotion is a “moved” or “stirred -up “ state of an organism. It is a stirred- up state of feeling that is the way it appear to the individual himself. It is a disturbed muscular and glandular activity that is the way it appears to an external observer”.

Crow & Crow - “ Emotional is an affective experience that accompanies generalised inner adjustment and mental and physiological stirred-up states in the individual and that shows itself in his overt behaviour”.

Charles G Morris - “ Emotion is a complex affective experience that involves diffuse physiological change and can be expressed overtly in characteristics behaviour patterns”

McDugall- Considering instinct as an innate tendency, he maintains that emotion is an affective experience that one undergoes during an instinctive excitement.

Thus, whatever may be terminology used by all these different writers and psychologist their definitions tend to describe emotions as some sort of feeling and affective experiences which are characterised by some sort of feelings and affective experiences which are characterised by some physiological changes that generally lend them to perform some or the other type of behavioural acts.

Characteristics of Emotional Development During Different Stage Of Development

Development, in general, applies to changes brought about with the passage of time. Emotional development in this respect reflects the following changes:

-There is a gradual birth of different emotional in an individual since his birth.

-There are change in the conditions or nature of the stimuli that arouse child’s emotions.

-These are change in the manner in which a child expresses his emotion.

During Infancy

1. Right from the time of his birth, the infant cries and his bodily movements seem to give evidence of the presence of emotional element in him. What are the specific emotions, if any, he experiences at this stage is a difficult question to be answered.
2. The stage of undifferentiated excitement is over in a very short time, when the general excitement is over in a very short time, when the general excitement becomes differentiated into simple responses that suggest pleasure and displeasure. Stimuli like sudden loud noise, wet, cold or hot objects applied to the baby’s skin, feeling hungry and uncomfortable etc. bring unpleasant responses. The stimuli like sucking, petting and warmth etc. bring pleasant responses.
3. The differentiation of general excitement into pleasant and unpleasant responses takes the following pattern according to Spitz:

“ During the first two mounth, Pleasure and displeasure come in response to ‘physical ‘ stimulation. By the third month, pleasure is aroused by ‘psychological’ stimulation as shown in the baby’s the baby’s smile in response to human face. Slightly later displeasure can be aroused by psychological as well as physical stimuli as may be seen in baby's reaction to being left alone”.

(4)  As said above, before, the age of 6 months, the emotional behaviour is expressed through pleasant and unpleasant responses, that is, there are only two emotions ( distress and delight ) up to this stage. When the infant completes his six months, the negative emotions take the lead and gradually in the coming months, fear, disgust, anger jealously all are distinguishable. Between the 10th and 12th months the positive emotions like love, sympathy, enjoyment all enter in the field.Up to 2 years,as the study of Bridges conducted in 1931 show almost all the emotions, positive as well as negative, take their shape and become quite distinguishable.

(5) There is Continuous variation in the manifestation of emotion during infancy. In the earlier months it is very difficult to distinguish on the basis of facial expression  and bodily position. Only the mother can determine the reasons behind her child’s crying and yelling. Later on they gradually become distinguishable. Moreover, in the earlier months of infancy, child reacts more violently to emotionally disturbing situations but as an infant approaches childhood his crying, yelling and the vigorous movements of the body part because less and less violent, Gradually with increasing age there is an increase in linguistics responses and a decrease in motor responses.

During Childhood

We find the following changes during childhood :

1. In infancy, the child is only concerned with his own well-being. Therefore, the emotions are generally around by the condition which are related with him immediate well being. But as he grows, his words, his words grows large and he has to respond to a variety of stimuli, During childhood, peer group relationship and social atmosphere and other environmental factor influence his emotional behaviour. His emotions get linked with the new stimuli.At the same time he does not react to various old stimuli e.g. he does not show anger at being dressed or bathed, nor does he show any fear of strangers.
2. There is a remarkable change in the expression of emotional behaviour. In infancy his behaviour is usually expressed through motor responses like crying, yelling, etc. But in childhood and specially in later childhood the child tries to express his behaviour through responsible means and is the result of many factor. In childhood the child is in a position to express his feelings through language.
3. Secondly, he becomes social and realises that it may not be desirable or proper for him to show his emotions at all times.
4. Thirdly, his intellect begins to play a proper role in exercising check over emotional outbursts.

Thus, the child advances towards emotional stability and control and during the later period of his childhood, demonstrates an appreciable degree of control over his emotions.

During Adolescence

The emotional balance is once again disturbed in adolescence. An individual once again experiences, this is the violent and intensive current of emotional experiences. With regard for emotional experiences, this emotional energy is a as strong and dangerous ad in adolescence. It is very difficult for an adolescent to exercise control over his emotions. The sudden functioning of sexual glands and tremendous increase in physical energy makes him restless. Moreover, adolescence are not consistent in their emotions. Emotions during this stage fluctuate very short span of time they could switch between being happy and extremely sad so there is too much uncertainty in the nature of their emotional stage.

At this stage,there is a strong need for training of emotions proper channelisation of emotional energy.

EMOTIONS : TYPES, IN CHILDHOOD AND SCHOOL YEARS

Emotions

The role of emotions is very vital in the personal and social development of an individual, An emotionally, stable individual lead a happy, healthy and peaceful life. He is at ease with himself and his surroundings. On the other hand an individual who is emotionally distributed because a problem for himself as well as for others. Continuous emotional development / disturbance become a problem for himself as well as for others’ personality. Proper training and education will go a long way to enable the young people to control their emotions and obtain mental balance and stability. Therefore, the development of emotions is extremely important for harmonious development of the personality of an individual. Emotions are the prime motive force of thought and conduct of their control is very important. It has been right said “ To keep one’s emotions under control and be able to conceal them is considered a mark of strong character”, e.g.

A child see a bull coming towards him he experiences an instinctive fear and undergoes three processes.

1. he perceive the bull
2. he experiences an emotion of fear
3. he tries to run away

kinds of Emotions

If we try to analyse the impact of various emotion experiences upon the well being of an individual, we can come on the conclusion that emotions have both positive as well as negative effects whether an emotions will prove to be helpful or harmful to an individual depends the following factors:

(i) Frequency and intensity of emotional experience.

(ii) Situation, occasion and nature of the stimulus which arouses the emotion.

(iii) kind of emotional experiences or emotions

Emotional in Human Child

A child is born in possessing some innate emotions, through there are no unanimity of expert opinion concerning the number of such emotions.

According to william McDougall, there are 14 emotions attached with 14 instincts. The sentiments of self-regard are the basis of an individual’s character. Besides, the character is also comprised of such desirable emotions as pity, wonder etc. There development leads to elevation of character. other emotional that is part and parcel of character. Other emotional that is part and parcel of character but is not only deprives the individual of his energy as it is consumed in destructive effort resulting in inadequate adaptation to a society. Emotions influence an individual’s adjustment with other individuals in society and determine his conduct towards them. Although man is a rational animal, much of his conduct is determined by emotions and instincts. Hence, human development is  considerable influenced by emotions. various emotions arises

due to different stimuli conditions. Besides the presence of stimuli another factor that something hamper the adjustment of an individual is the excess of someone's emotions. This is evident in both mental as well as physical adjustment. The form of emotion changes as the child grows into the adult individual. Many detailed studies have revealed that emotions constantly development too, is studies in relation to the individual situations and conditions. The  normal states of the development of a human being are to adopt this division and study emotional development in the context.

Emotional Development in Infants

Since Birth

The emotional element is present in the child from his birth as the evident from his crying and vigorous movement of body parts. There movements bear adequate evidence to the presence of emotion at birth in the child, but it is difficult to determine the emotion that is related to particular form or pattern of the child's conduct. Generally, before any education activity can be indulged in the child should be able to integrate the stimulus. Hindrance in the fulfillment of some desire in a child leads to emotional excitation. In infancy, the child is unable to transfer his emotional excitation. In infancy, the child is unable to transfer his emotional reactions from one situation to another. The studies the Bridges conducted concerning infant emotional states, revealed that the child's emotions increase with experience, but they are very chargeable and obstruction or pain. As the child development and passes to a higher stage of life his emotion at pattern can be determined with increase precision and accuracy. In order to study the child's emotions during these stage scientists took photographs of many  children depending such emotions, pain anger and fear under normal conditions. In one cinematic study in which a movies camera was employed, it was revealed that the individual child's conduct during the first few days after his birth does not show any determined emotion, but within a year, emotion of his nature become more specific and definite. Most observers of a photograph of a ten month old child could determine the emotions with such accuracy and similitude that the concurrence could not be attributed to coincidence.

Six Month Age

By the time a child reaches his first six months, his facial expressions and other bodily positions are specific enough to make possible to distinguish between such emotions as anger and fear. There is continues variation in the manifestation of emotions during infancy sometime after birth. The infancy sometime after birth. The infant smile when he seen a human face and later on it also laugh audibly. In studying children of four weeks, Gesell distinguished between expression of hunger, anger and pain, Even though it differ from child to child yet the expression of these emotions is so specific that the mother can always determine the cause of her child's crying may not convey any meaning to her similarly expression of fear. pleasure, and affection can be seen in the child's first year of life.

Emotional Development During Childhood

Emotional development during childhood is more susceptible to the influence of friends circle than that of family. The friends can either belong to the neighborhood or to the

school. It is in this age that the child first goes to school.Hence, his emotional development is now also open to such influences as the teacher’s behaviour and the atmosphere within the school and classroom. The proper emotions can be willfully created in the child by the teachers setting the appropriate examples, the same measure also being effective negatively in the blocking and preventing the development of undesirable emotions. Creating a proper atmosphere for the child is equally important. He must be encouraged to take interest while at the same time, the child should have a sense of belonging and should not feel a stranger in school. The are the methods by means of which ideal character can be developed in the child.

In childhood, the manifestation of emotions becomes more specific and precise but the child is devoid of the impetuosity of infancy.At the same time, the child is devoid of the impetuosity of infancy. At the same time, the child shows no reaction to many things that same time, the child shows no reaction to many things that in infancy led him to read violently. He does not show anger at being bathed or dressed, neither does he show any fear of strangers in the age, the child is a almost invariably the member of some one or the other group, in the activities of which he participates actively. Sometime, undesirable and harmful tensions and hatred develop among different groups, in which case it is necessary for the teachers well-wisher to intervene and remove the tension generated. As such tension can lead to development of undesirable emotions and complex fear is engendered in the child if physical punishment is used to teach him, the outcome being his desire to escape from study.

Gentle behaviour on the part of the teacher pays dividends in the form of proper emotional development and adjustment. It is for this reason the more woman then man are employed to teach small children. The atmosphere in both school and home should be as free as possible since only then the child can freely manifest emotions. if free expression of emotions is hindered because of the princes of  excessive control and strict discipline, the child develops all kinds of metal complexes which are very harmful as regards his mental complexes which are very harmful as regards his mental health and development. Presence of good ideals in healthy school and domestic atmosphere is itself a sufficient condition for the nature development of laudable emotions. Similarly, if the idea present in the school and at home are low and detestable, than even the greatest amount of precaution and care cannot avoid the development of improper emotions. Repression only leads to the suppression or control of the expression of emotion but then destruction and its repression is often moral dangerous than if the emotions are expressed.

Emotional Development in Adolescence

Adolescence is the period of life when the individual show signs of development in every respect. Hence, it is only natural that the expression of emotion should undergo similar modification eg. the adolescent is very sensitive to any injury to his prestige.  A physical deformity is so magnified in its evil effect that it even enters his dreaming state and modifies it. many of his emotions he suppresses extremely but they find expression in the form of day-dreams. The high intensity of the sexual instinct is one reason why the adolescent is  more prone to react to love than to other emotions. This high intensity of the sexual instinct is one reason why the adolescent is more prone to react to love than to any other emotion. This emotion finds expression in the form of excessive and almost obsessional attraction to the individual of the other sex. As the adolescent’s field of knowledge with the situations that give rise to emotion in him to change. He became angry if his country is attacked by another nation, he can even show displeasure at any instances. He develops hatred for authority if administration is strict.

MORAL DEVELOPMENT

We might be telling children about socially desired behaviour such as “Obey your elder”, “Be honest”, “Greet your visitors “, “Don’t tell a lie” , “Speak politely”, “ Don’t hurt animals’, “Pray to God”. By telling such things you recognise, the importance of rules in a society. In other words want to make them aware of socially desired behaviour. Generally, students at the middle and secondary level.

At one time student of moral development was considered to be one the fringes of psychology, but recently it has come to the fore as worthy topic that has important implications. The term moral is derived from the Latin “moral” meaning manners, customs and folk ways, Morality is invisibly linked with the social system. The child has to learn what is good and what is bad, All these terms imply clearly that morality has two dimensions which are closely interlinked.The rules of morality operate in social context. Secondly, it is used to mean the pursuit of good life - personal moral code.

According to A.L kohlberg (1963) distinguished Two levels of moral development.

1. Pre-conventional Level

Stage 1: Punishment and Obedience Orientation

The moral development is determined by the physical consequences of an action whether it is good or bed. Avoiding punishment and bowing to superior authority are valued positively.

Stage 2 : Instrument Relativist Orientation

Right action consist of behaviour that satisfies child’s own need. Human relations are considered in reciprocity. It may be seen in a pragmatic way.

2. Conventional Level

Stage 3 : Inter- Personal Concordance

At this stage, the child begins to like the goodwill of others to obtain their approval - Good boy - nice girl - good moral behaviours are these please others.

Stage 4 : Orientation Towards Authority

Focus is on authority or rule one shows respect for authority.

Stage 5 : Social Contract Orientation

Right behaviours are defined according to standard agreed upon by the group or society. Through a proper procedure, these standard can be changed.

Stage 6 : Universal Ethical Principle Orientation

At this stage, the individual keeps not only the norms of society in mind but also the universal moral principles. An individual, may be prepared to sacrifices his all, including life for the uploading of these principles.

Moral development indicate that they young children whose mother preferred physical discipline were more likely to resist the temptation of cheating in a game than where children deviated less than younger ones when punishment plus a reason was provided. Moral reasoning was also found more effective than verbal punishment in preventing deviation.

RELATED RESOURCES

• Cognitive Development theory 

• FACTORS AFFECTING COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 

• INFLUENCE OF HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT ON DEVELOPMENT 

• Physical Motor Development and Characters of Different Stages
• DEVELOPMENT TASK BY - R.J HAVIGHURST’S FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADOLESCENCE PERIOD 

• Concept and Principles of Growth and Development